The pericapsular nerve group block, a highly selective blockage for intracapsular hip fractures: A case series.

Hip fracture is a very frequent clinical situation in the elderly and frail patient. The Pericapsular Nerve Group (PENG) has emerged as a highly selective block for the intracapsular hip fractures. We describe 44 patients with intracapsular hip fractures who underwent a PENG block in addition to spinal anaesthesia with. The main objective was to assess post-surgical pain control at the recovery room and after 24 h. Also, we considered the need for first of second analgesic rescue during the first 24 h after surgery. Only 10 patients presented mild pain at the recovery room. Up to 30 of them had pain after 24 h. However, 25 of these patients reported having mild pain. Only 9 patients required analgesic rescue for postoperative pain control. In conclusion, PENG block is a locoregional technique that allows good postoperative pain control and low opioid consumption during the postoperative period of intracapsular hip fractures.

The key role of meteorites in the formation of relevant prebiotic molecules in a formamide/water environment.

We show that carbonaceous chondrite meteorites actively and selectively catalyze the formation of relevant prebiotic molecules from formamide in aqueous media. Specific catalytic behaviours are observed, depending on the origin and composition of the chondrites and on the type of water present in the system (activity: thermal > seawater > pure). We report the one-pot synthesis of all the natural nucleobases, of aminoacids and of eight carboxylic acids (forming, from pyruvic acid to citric acid, a continuous series encompassing a large part of the extant Krebs cycle). These data shape a general prebiotic scenario consisting of carbonaceous meteorites acting as catalysts and of a volcanic-like environment providing heat, thermal waters and formamide. This scenario also applies to the other solar system locations that experienced rich delivery of carbonaceous materials, and whose physical-chemical conditions could have allowed chemical evolution.

Study of enzymatic digestion of cellulose by small angle neutron scattering.

Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) was used to study the structure of Avicel (FD100) microcrystalline cellulose during enzymatic digestion. Digestions were performed in either of two modes: a static, quiescent mode or a dynamic mode using a stirred suspension recycled through a flow cell. The scattering pattern for as-received Avicel in D(2)O buffer is comprised of a low Q power law region resulting from the surface fractal character of the microcrystalline fibers and a high Q roll-off due to scattering from water-filled nanopores with radii approximately 20 A. For digestions in the dynamic mode the high Q roll-off decreased in magnitude within approximately 1 h after addition of enzymes, whereas in the static digestions no change was observed in the high Q roll-off, even after 60 h. These results indicate that only with significant agitation does enzyme digestion affect the structure of the nanopores.

Two new cases of the Christchurch (Ch1) chromosome 21: evidence for clinical consequences of de novo deletion 21P-.

We performed an investigation of two unrelated cases with extremal variants of chromosome 21 without visible materials of the short arms (Christchurch or Ch1 chromosome). In the first case chromosome 21p- was initially detected during routine cytogenetic amniocentesis. Chromosomal variant was inherited from phenotypically normal father to phenotypically normal fetus (phenotypically normal boy after the birth). The second case of chromosome 21p- was detected in 7 years old boy, referred to cytogenetic analysis due to mental retardation and mild congenital malformation, including prenatal hypoplasia, microcephaly, low-set dysplastic ears, short nose, micrognatia, short neck. Molecular characterization of 21p-variant chromosomes was performed by the use of FISH with DNA probes specific to the short arm and centromeric region of chromosome 21 (telomeric, beta-satellite, ribosomal, classical satellite and alphoid DNA probes). Chromosomes 21p-hybridized positively only with telomeric DNA at both chromosomal ends and alphoid DNA probes at centromeric region of the first patient. In second case (de novo deletion of 21p), the Ch1 was associated with clinical phenotype and loss of telomeric and subtelomeric DNA in the p-arm of chromosome 21. Therefore, the complete absent of the short arm of chromosome 21 may be considered as abnormal. We propose that de novo deletion 21p- could have negative consequences due to absence of large portion of chromosomal DNA from the p-arm (telomeric, satellite or ribosomal DNAs) and following imbalance in organization and functioning of genome.

Slide Flask direct amniotic fluid cultures.

Slide Flask direct amniotic fluid culture enabling: to decrease the risk of abnormalities caused by the technique itself, to facilitate laboratory work, to shorten culture time (8 to 13 days).

Are clinical and biological IVF parameters correlated with chromosomal disorders in early life: a multicentric study.

A multicentric study was carried out to analyse in a large series: (i) the chromosomal status of unfertilized oocytes, (ii) errors at fertilization and (iii) the chromosomal complement of cleaved embryos. Parameters such as type of sterility, maternal age, stimulation treatment, doses of gonadotrophins administered and oocyte preincubation time before insemination were studied in relation to the incidence of chromosome abnormalities. Twenty-six per cent of the unfertilized oocytes and 29.2% of the embryos had chromosome anomalies. Maternal age significantly increased the rate of aneuploidy in oocytes: 38% in patients over 35 years (versus 24% in younger patients). Fertilization-related abnormalities were significant, i.e. 1.6% parthenogenesis and 6.4% polyploidy. Unexplained infertility was correlated with an increase in the rate of parthenogenesis (4.2%) when compared with tubal infertility (1.2%). Triploidy was found to be correlated with three parameters. A lower rate of triploidy was observed in the group of couples referred because of male sterility (1.9% versus 6.3% for tubal sterility), in HMG-treated patients (2.4% versus 7% with analogues of LHRH/HMG) and with a short 2-h preincubation time before insemination (3% versus 7.2% for greater than 2 h). A general model for natural selection against embryos carrying a chromosome imbalance was proposed.