Assessment of speech perception and communication skills in adolescents with cochlear implants for pre- and peri-lingual deafness

This study aimed to assess speech perception and communication skills in adolescents between ages 8 and 18 that received cochlear implants for pre- and peri-lingual deafness.

Incidence of descending aortic pathology and evaluation of the impact of thoracic endovascular aortic repair: a population-based study in England and Wales from 1999 to 2010

To investigate population trends in thoracic aortic disease (dissections and aneurysms) in England and Wales, with focus on the impact of thoracic endovascular aortic repair on procedure numbers and age at repair.

Formal speech stylistics and type A behavior in 38 subjects during nonstress interviews

Open-ended interviews of 90 min length of 38 patients were analyzed with respect to speech stylistics, shown by Schucker and Jacobs to differentiate individuals with type A personality features from those with type B. In our patients, Type A/B had been assessed by the Bortner Personality Inventory. The stylistics studied were: repeated words swallowed words, interruptions, simultaneous speech, silence latency (between question and answer) (SL), speed of speech, uneven speed of speech (USS), explosive words (PW), uneven speech volume (USV), and speech volume. Correlations between both raters for all speech categories were high. Positive correlations between extent of type A and SL (r = 0.33; p = 0.022), USS (r = 0.51; p = 0.002), PW (r = 0.46; p = 0.003) and USV (r = 0.39; p = 0.012) were found. Our results indicate that the speech in nonstress open-ended interviews of type A individuals tends to show a higher emotional tension (positive correlations for USS PW and USV) and is more controlled in conversation (positive correlation for SL).

[Implantation: physiology, pathology and therapeutic options in disorders of implantation]

So far, implantation is a poorly understood process, which involves several paradoxical cell-biological mechanisms. First, 50% of the embryo is paternal and immunologically foreign material, and second, both the endometrium and embryo are covered by epithelial tissue to prevent cellular fusion. The adhesion and invasion of the blastocyst require an accurate coordination of embryonic and endometrial physiology and the modulation of maternal immune tolerance. Endometrial function plays an important role in assisted reproduction. Pathologies such as fibroids, hydrosalpinges, endometriosis and the polycystic ovary syndrome have a significant negative impact on implantation but can be treated in most cases. Therapeutic strategies to improve endometrial and embryonic function in recurrent implantation disorders are however still controversially discussed.

Proliferative kidney disease in rainbow trout: time- and temperature-related renal pathology and parasite distribution

Proliferative kidney disease is a parasitic infection of salmonid fishes caused by Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae. The main target organ of the parasite in the fish is the kidney. To investigate the influence of water temperature on the disease in fish, rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss infected with T bryosalmonae were kept at 12 degrees C and 18 degrees C. The number of parasites, the type and degree of lesions in the kidney and the mortality rate was evaluated from infection until full development of disease. While mortality stayed low at 12 degrees C, it reached 77% at 18 degrees C. At 12 degrees C, pathological lesions were dominated by a multifocal proliferative and granulomatous interstitial nephritis. This was accompanied by low numbers of T. bryosalmonae, mainly located in the interstitial lesions. With progression of the disease, small numbers of parasites appeared in the excretory tubuli, and parasite DNA was detected in the urine. Parasite degeneration in the interstitium was observed at late stages of the disease. At 18 degrees C, pathological lesions in kidneys were more severe and more widely distributed, and accompanied by significantly higher parasite numbers. Distribution of parasites in the renal compartments, onset of parasite degeneration and time course of appearance of parasite DNA in urine were not clearly different from the 12 degrees C group. These findings indicate that higher mortality at 18 degrees C compared to 12 degrees C is associated with an enhanced severity of renal pathology and increased parasite numbers.

Canine mast cell tumours: a review of the pathogenesis, clinical features, pathology and treatment

Mast cells (MCs) are well known for their neoplastic transformation in solitary and multiple cutaneous mast cell tumours (MCTs), as well as visceral and systemic mastocytosis. Dogs have a unique risk of developing cutaneous MCTs, and they account for 7% to 21% of all canine skin tumours. The aetiology of canine MCTs is unknown but is probably multifactorial. This article reviews up-to-date knowledge on the pathogenesis, the clinical presentation, the clinical prognostic factors, the diagnostic workup including clinical staging, cytological findings, histological findings and the various grading systems which have been evaluated based on morphology, the assessment of proliferation markers and other factors such as vessel density. Furthermore, detailed information about current treatment protocols for canine cutaneous MCTs is provided.

Proliferative kidney disease in brown trout – infection level, pathology and mortality under field conditions

Proliferative kidney disease (PKD) is an emerging disease threatening wild salmonid populations. In temperature-controlled aquaria, PKD can cause mortality rates of up to 85% in rainbow trout. So far, no data about PKD-related mortality in wild brown trout Salmo trutta fario are available. The aim of this study was to investigate mortality rates and pathology in brown trout kept in a cage within a natural river habitat known to harbor Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae. Young-of-the-year (YOY) brown trout, free of T. bryosalmonae, were exposed in the River Wutach, in the northeast of Switzerland, during 3 summer months. Samples of wild brown trout caught by electrofishing near the cage location were examined in parallel. The incidence of PKD in cage-exposed animals (69%) was not significantly different to the disease prevalence of wild fish (82 and 80% in the upstream and downstream locations, respectively). The mortality in cageexposed animals, however, was as low as 15%. At the termination of the exposure experiment, surviving fish showed histological lesions typical for PKD regression, suggesting that many YOY brown trout survive the initial infection. Our results at the River Wutach suggest that PKD in brown trout does not always result in high mortality under natural conditions.

Waddlia chondrophila induces systemic infection, organ pathology, and elicits Th1-associated humoral immunity in a murine model of genital infection

Waddlia chondrophila is a known bovine abortigenic Chlamydia-related bacterium that has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes in human. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding how W. chondrophila infection spreads, its ability to elicit an immune response and induce pathology. A murine model of genital infection was developed to investigate the pathogenicity and immune response associated with a W. chondrophila infection. Genital inoculation of the bacterial agent resulted in a dose-dependent infection that spread to lumbar lymph nodes and successively to spleen and liver. Bacterial-induced pathology peaked on day 14, characterized by leukocyte infiltration (uterine horn, liver, and spleen), necrosis (liver) and extramedullary hematopoiesis (spleen). Immunohistochemistry demonstrated the presence of a large number of W. chondrophila in the spleen on day 14. Robust IgG titers were detected by day 14 and remained high until day 52. IgG isotypes consisted of high IgG2a, moderate IgG3 and no detectable IgG1, indicating a Th1-associated immune response. This study provides the first evidence that W. chondrophila genital infection is capable of inducing a systemic infection that spreads to major organs, induces uterus, spleen, and liver pathology and elicits a Th1-skewed humoral response. This new animal model will help our understanding of the mechanisms related to intracellular bacteria-induced miscarriages, the most frequent complication of pregnancy that affects one in four women.

Reticulate eruptions. Part 1: Vascular networks and physiology

Reticulate pattern is one of the most important dermatological signs of a pathological process involving the superficial vascular networks. Vascular malformations, such as cutis marmorata congenita telangiectasia and benign forms of livedo reticularis, and sinister conditions, such as meningococcal meningitis or Sneddon's syndrome, can all present with a reticulate pattern. The clinical presentation and morphology is determined by the nature and extent of the underlying pathology and the involvement of a particular vascular network. This review has been divided into four instalments. In the present paper, we discuss the anatomy and physiology of the complex network of vascular structures that support the function of the skin and subcutis.

A research agenda for malaria eradication: basic science and enabling technologies

Today's malaria control efforts are limited by our incomplete understanding of the biology of Plasmodium and of the complex relationships between human populations and the multiple species of mosquito and parasite. Research priorities include the development of in vitro culture systems for the complete life cycle of P. falciparum and P. vivax and the development of an appropriate liver culture system to study hepatic stages. In addition, genetic technologies for the manipulation of Plasmodium need to be improved, the entire parasite metabolome needs to be characterized to identify new druggable targets, and improved information systems for monitoring the changes in epidemiology, pathology, and host-parasite-vector interactions as a result of intensified control need to be established to bridge the gap between bench, preclinical, clinical, and population-based sciences.

Board examination for anatomical pathology in Switzerland: two intense days to verify professional competence

About 15 years ago, the Swiss Society of Pathology has developed and implemented a board examination in anatomical pathology. We describe herein the contents covered by this 2-day exam (autopsy pathology, cytology, histopathology, molecular pathology, and basic knowledge about mechanisms of disease) and its exact modalities, sketch a brief history of the exam, and finish with a concise discussion about the possible objectives and putative benefits weighed against the hardship that it imposes on the candidates.

Mitochondrial dysfunction and Purkinje cell loss in autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS)

Autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS) is a childhood-onset neurological disease resulting from mutations in the SACS gene encoding sacsin, a 4,579-aa protein of unknown function. Originally identified as a founder disease in Québec, ARSACS is now recognized worldwide. Prominent features include pyramidal spasticity and cerebellar ataxia, but the underlying pathology and pathophysiological mechanisms are unknown. We have generated an animal model for ARSACS, sacsin knockout mice, that display age-dependent neurodegeneration of cerebellar Purkinje cells. To explore the pathophysiological basis for this observation, we examined the cell biological properties of sacsin. We show that sacsin localizes to mitochondria in non-neuronal cells and primary neurons and that it interacts with dynamin-related protein 1, which participates in mitochondrial fission. Fibroblasts from ARSACS patients show a hyperfused mitochondrial network, consistent with defects in mitochondrial fission. Sacsin knockdown leads to an overly interconnected and functionally impaired mitochondrial network, and mitochondria accumulate in the soma and proximal dendrites of sacsin knockdown neurons. Disruption of mitochondrial transport into dendrites has been shown to lead to abnormal dendritic morphology, and we observe striking alterations in the organization of dendritic fields in the cerebellum of knockout mice that precedes Purkinje cell death. Our data identifies mitochondrial dysfunction/mislocalization as the likely cellular basis for ARSACS and indicates a role for sacsin in regulation of mitochondrial dynamics.

Disseminated and sustained HIV infection in CD34+ cord blood cell-transplanted Rag2-/-gamma c-/- mice

Because of species selectivity, HIV research is largely restricted to in vitro or clinical studies, both limited in their ability to rapidly assess new strategies to fight the virus. To prospectively study some aspects of HIV in vivo, immunodeficient mice, transplanted with either human peripheral blood leukocytes or human fetal tissues, have been developed. Although these are susceptible to HIV infection, xenoreactivity, and short infection spans, resource and ethical constraints, as well as biased HIV coreceptor tropic strain infection, pose substantial problems in their use. Rag2(-/-)gamma(c)(-/-) mice, transplanted as newborns with human CD34(+) cells, were recently shown to develop human B, T, and dendritic cells, constituting lymphoid organs in situ. Here we tested these mice as a model system for HIV-1 infection. HIV RNA levels peaked to up to 2 x 10(6) copies per milliliter of plasma early after infection, and viremia was observed for up to 190 days, the longest time followed. A marked relative CD4(+) T cell depletion in peripheral blood occurred in CXCR4-tropic strain-infected mice, whereas this was less pronounced in CCR5-tropic strain-infected animals. Thymus infection was almost exclusively observed in CXCR4-tropic strain-infected mice, whereas spleen and lymph node HIV infection occurred irrespective of coreceptor selectivity, consistent with respective coreceptor expression on human CD4(+) T cells. Thus, this straightforward to generate and cost-effective in vivo model closely resembles HIV infection in man and therefore should be valuable to study virus-induced pathology and to rapidly evaluate new approaches aiming to prevent or treat HIV infection.

Postmortem angiography: review of former and current methods

OBJECTIVE: Postmortem investigations are becoming more and more sophisticated. CT and MRI are already being used in pathology and forensic medicine. In this context, the impact of postmortem angiography increases because of the rapid evaluation of organ-specific vascular patterns, vascular alteration under pathologic and physiologic conditions, and tissue changes induced by artificial and unnatural causes. CONCLUSION: In this article, the advantages and disadvantages of former and current techniques and contrast agents are reviewed.