Biomedicine International Journals
Volume:2 Issue: 2, 2011

Surgical landmarks for application during surgery of the neck may be useful to the neurosurgeon. The present study was performed to explore the utility of a nearly forgotten anatomical triangle of the neck, the triangle of Farabeuf (TF) formed by the common facial and internal jugular veins and the hypoglossal nerve as its base directly superiorly. This study was carried out on 12 (24 sides) formaldehyde-fixed adult human cadavers (5 males and 7 female. The presence of TF was documented and measurements made of its sides. Additionally, structures found within the triangle were observed. TF was present on 15 sides and absent on 5 sides. The TF, when present, contained at least the proximal internal or external carotid artery in 14 of the 15 sides (93.3%), and both in 6 of the sides (40%). The carotid bifurcation was present in the triangle on 2 sides (13.3%) and was located inferior to the TF in the other cases. A jugulodigastric node was found in the TF on 8 sides (33%). The mean length of the TF for inferior, superior and posterior legs of the triangle was 1.05 cm, 1.58 cm, and 1.92 cm, respectively. We found that the proximal common facial vein was up to 2 cm superior to or 1.5 cm inferior to the common carotid artery bifurcation. Knowledge of the TF may be of use to the surgeon during procedures of the neck such as placement of ventriculoatrial shunts into the common facial vein or neurotization procedures utilizing the hypoglossal nerve. Carotid endarterectomy may be performed by traversing the TF to access the proximal internal carotid artery.

Delivery of two drugs in one dry powder inhaler (DPI) is expected to play an increasing and more effective role in the management of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In this study we investigated five sugars as possible carriers of both budesonide, an anti-inflammatory glucocorticoid, and formoterol, a long-acting? agonist, in one DPI formulation. Most DPI formulations utilise lactose as a carrier in the drug-carrier blends; however, it cannot be used for compounds that react with its reducing group, such as budesonide, formoterol, or peptide/protein-based drugs. Therefore, alternative carriers such as sorbitol, mannitol, dextrose and xylitol were selected for this study in addition to lactose, which was used as a reference. A formulation comprising 5% w/w budesonide and 0.3% w/w formoterol was prepared with each sugar. The carriers were sieved to obtain 63-90 µm fractions and physicochemically characterised via true density, powder flow, particle size and surface morphology analyses. The dispersion and deaggregation of the two drugs from the five formulations were assessed after aerosolisation at 58-68 L min-1 via a device-metered Airmax inhaler into a Multi-Stage Liquid Impinger. The findings show that the deposition efficiencies of the five formulations were influenced by the particle size distribution, surface morphology and flowability of the respective carriers, and that mannitol showed the greatest potential as an alternative carrier to lactose. Mannitol produced the highest fine particle fraction values of 72.4% and 27.5% for budesonide and formoterol, respectively, and this performance was largely attributable to the relatively high percentage of fine particles (< 10.50 µm) compared to the other carriers.

Quantitative structure-relaxant activity relationships of 56 benzopyran derivatives were developed and validated on the basis of a linear model using two descriptors. The mean percentage deviation (MPD) of the prediction data set was used as an accuracy criterion and the validity of the developed model was evaluated by correlation coefficient (R) and variance ratio (F) values. The developed model was able to predict the vasorelaxant activity (pEC50) by 6.4 (± 5.2)% MPD value.

In view of available findings about exercise-induced inflammation, the present study was conducted to investigate the effect of acute moderate cycling on systemic inflammatory responses in healthy young active and inactive men. A quasi-experimental pre-post design was used to study 12 healthy young inactive men (aged 21.01 ± 1.1 years, body fat 16.7 ± 1.2% and VO2max 45.01 ± 5.83 ml/kg/min) and 12 young active men (aged 21.02 ± 1.2 years, body fat 12.04 ± 2.72% and VO2max 59.63 ± 2.15 ml/kg/min). One week after preliminary measurements, all subjects participated in an acute moderate cycling protocol (45 min with 50% VO2max). Blood samples were drawn before and immediately after the exercise. Complete blood cell counts, fasting blood sugar, serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), C-reactive protein (CRP) and plasma stress hormones (cortisol and epinephrine) were determined. Data were analyzed by the independent samples t-test and Pearson's correlation test at? < 0.05. Our results demonstrated that total and differential circulating leukocyte counts and serum IL-6, IL-10, and CRP concentrations, along with plasma epinephrine and cortisol levels, were increased immediately after the acute moderate cycling protocol in both active and inactive men (P < 0.01). Furthermore, the positive correlation between the post-exercise total leukocyte counts and serum IL-10 was significant (P = 0.011). However, the correlations between the exercise-induced reduction of fasting blood glucose and total leukocyte counts with serum CRP and IL-6 after exercise were not significant (P > 0.05). The small exercise-induced elevation of inflammatory marker concen-trations suggests that the intensity or duration of the acute moderate cycling episode may not have been sufficient to induce a substantial systemic inflammatory response in young active or inactive men. Therefore, it can be concluded that the moderate exercise appears to be safe from an immunological point of view in young active and inactive men, and moderate exercise cycling can be recommended for both groups.

Curcumin, an active ingredient of Curcuma longa, has been reported to enhance serotonin levels in various regions of the brain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of curcumin in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and on cortisol levels. The effect of curcumin on PTSD was studied using the predator scent stress (PSS) model at two dose levels (5 and 10 mg/kg), two phases of treatment (short term, 14 days, and long term, 28 days) and in two categories of rats (unexposed and exposed to PSS). Behavioral parameters such as performance on an elevated plus maze (EPM) and freezing response on re-exposure to the PSS were observed. Serum cortisol levels were estimated using chemiluminescence and were compared with those in paroxetine-treated groups. Long term treatment with both dose levels of curcumin effected a marked increase in the number of open arm entries, while short term treatment had a significant effect only at 10 mg/kg. Cortisol levels were also increased significantly on long term treatment with curcumin. This decrease in the anxiety index and freezing response indicates the therapeutic potential of curcumin for treating PTSD. Further, the increased cortisol levels reinforce the restoration of HPA-axis function, which normally becomes dysfunctional in PTSD.

Laboratory rats are among the most commonly used experimental animals, offering the best functionally characterized model mammalian system. The rat serves as a model organism for the analysis of a number of important biomedical traits, including toxicology. In many instances, while individuals engaged in research are calculating doses for an experiment or relating the health effect of a certain drug or chemical to a human, questions arise such as ‘how old is a rat in people years?' or ‘is a newborn rat a good model for a newborn human?'. Some reviews have tried to answer these questions in various ways. This review attempts to answer such questions using a different approach, and shows that rat-human age correlations differ markedly at different stages of life and development. This review metaphorically illustrates the correlation of their different age periods, from the weaning (where 42.4 rat days resemble a human year) to aged phase of life (where 17.1 rat days equal a human year).

Yawning as the presenting feature of complex partial seizures is an extremely rare phenomenon. We report a 37-year-old female who presented with spontaneous attacks of yawning and stretching, which were controlled by the anticonvulsant carbamazepine. Spiral brain CT scan and MRI were unrevealing. The relevant literature is summarized and the proposed mechanisms of anomalous yawning are addressed.