AIM: In the earliest records of human religion, castration was regarded as an act of devotion. Moreover, the ritual of circumcision is still followed by many modern religions. In this article, we have exposed the archeological, historical, cultural and religious evidence between the ancient ritual of castration and circumcision. MATERIALS ...

While Southeast Asia and northern Australia are well recognized as the major endemic regions for melioidosis, recent reports have expanded the endemic zone. Severe weather events and environmental disasters such as the 2004 Asian tsunami have unmasked locations of sporadic cases and have reconfirmed endemicity in Indonesia. The endemic region ...

WE SURVEYED IRB CHAIRS IN THE United States to ascertain whether their IRBs have clarity regarding their FDA-mandated role in reviewing humanitarian use device (HUD) applications, which are neither research devices nor fully tested treatments. Of 2,588 Chairs, 469 (18%) completed the survey, almost half of whom (44%) reported review ...

We report the onset of an urban epidemic of human myiasis caused by Dermatobia hominis. To our knowledge, this is the first urban epidemic described for D. hominis. The epidemic was most likely related to exceptional weather conditions and notably high rainfall in January 2000, which may have facilitated the ...

Though the need for human-subjects review is readily apparent to investigators when conducting a randomized clinical trial, that same requirement is often less obvious when considering activities such as chart reviews, observational studies, or even case reports. In some cases all that is needed is notification of the institutional review ...

This study is concerned with the characteristics of regular (isotropic) percolation clusters above the critical threshold p{c}. Analytic arguments for the general dimension case, and numerical results for the two-dimensional case, lead to the conclusion that the characteristics of the shortest paths (defined as the chemical distance l) between given ...

Abstract Brachyspira pilosicoli is the etiologic agent of human and animal intestinal spirochetosis and is rarely implicated as a cause of bacteremia. Here, we describe the case of a B. pilosicoli spirochetemia in a 53-year-old male patient suffering from cardiogenic shock. This fastidious bacterium was isolated from blood, likely after ...

The current paper critically reviews the empirical literature focused on the association between puberty and anxiety. A detailed review of more than 45 empirical articles is provided. There is some evidence that among girls, but not boys, a more advanced pubertal status (controlling for age) is associated with higher reported ...

This article provides a clearer understanding of how to use the monitoring report, a monthly statement of how the department is performing compared to the budget, to move the department forward. Critical items discussed in relation to the report include revenue, salaries, benefits, supplies, services, utilities, leases and rentals, and ...

This article reports a case of extraradicular actinomycosis that clearly formed a continuum with the intraradicular infection. Histobacteriologic and histopathologic analyses of the root tip and attached apical periodontitis lesion obtained by surgery from a tooth with persistent disease were performed to look for the possible reasons for persistent disease. ...

OBJECTIVE: The normal pituitary production of human chorionic gonadotropin alongside luteinizing hormone, measurable in menopausal serum and urine was initially reported over 3 decades ago and has been described in numerous subsequent publications. Unfortunately, delays or cancellations of important medical procedures and use of needless chemotherapy still occurs because of ...

Augmentation material used in plastic surgery such as facelift procedures can be radiopaque and thus become visible on extra- and intraoral radiographs. These objects may obscure anatomical structures and mask critical findings, therefore leading to potential misinterpretation of otherwise successful images. The present report describes a case in which the ...

Walking assist systems should cope with both the external perturbation caused by slips, uneven terrain, slopes, and obstacles, and local function impairment caused by internal factors, like spastic paralysis. It is known that humans are able to cope with these difficulties by different strategies. One is that in the case ...

OBJECTIVE: This literature review aimed to critically assess the 'state of the art' of the full economic evaluations (FEEs) on glaucoma pharmacological treatments. This is the first review that tries to thoroughly assess both costs and consequences of pharmacoeconomic evaluations on glaucoma. METHODS: A literature search was done on the ...

Brachyspira pilosicoli is the etiologic agent of human and animal intestinal spirochetosis and is rarely implicated as a cause of bacteremia. Here, we describe the case of a B. pilosicoli spirochetemia in a 53-year-old male patient suffering from cardiogenic shock. This fastidious bacterium was isolated from blood, likely after translocation ...

This paper reviews the taxonomical literature of the gracilarioid algae from Tanzania, and provides information about their ecology and distribution based on an intensive regime of local collection. Its aim was to provide names, even if on a preliminary basis, for local gracilarioid taxa. Our revision shows that species misidentification ...

Venous access is often essential in critical care medicine. The internal jugular vein (IJV) often provides reliable blood flow when subjected to cannulation. However, anatomical variations of the IJV have been reported as the cause of unsuccessful and complicated venous cannulation. We report ultrasonographic findings of an extremely rare variant ...

Since the discovery that Legionella pneumophila can survive and grow within free-living amoebae, there has been an increasing number of microbial species shown to have similar relationships. These include many bacterial species, fungi, other protozoa (e.g. Cryptosporidium) and viruses. Among bacteria, mycobacteria are of particular importance because of their role ...

This article explores the Pinochet case, widely heralded as a landmark, as a case of 'intermestic' human rights that raises difficult normative and empirical questions concerning cosmopolitan justice. The article is a contribution to the sociology of human rights from the perspective of methodological cosmopolitanism, developing conceptual tools and methods ...

Although Leuconostoc genus is "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS), a few clinically human infections cases by this microorganism have been reported in the literature, leading to their classification as opportunistic pathogens. However, these reported cases concern only severe immunodepressed patients, and none direct relations have yet been proven between Leuconostoc ...

Despite the fundamental nature of tonic immobility in anxiety responses, surprisingly little empirical research has focused on the "freeze" response in humans. The present report evaluated the frequency and predictors of a freeze response in the context of a biological challenge. A nonclinical sample (N=404) underwent a 20-s inhalation of ...

Desulfovibrio fairfieldensis is a gram-negative, curved, motile, anaerobic bacillus. D. fairfieldensis has been isolated only from human specimens and is considered a normal resident of the human gastrointestinal tract. We report the second case of Desulfovibrio bacteremia associated with choledocholithiasis and review the other reported cases of D. fairfieldensis bacteremia.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To summarize recent findings on work-exacerbated asthma, based on medical literature published during 2005 and the first 10 months of 2006. RECENT FINDINGS: Although prevalence estimates varied considerably among six recent epidemiologic studies, collectively they contribute to the conclusion that work-exacerbated asthma is common. Median work-exacerbated asthma ...

H5N1 has emerged as a highly pathogenic strain of avian flu. Cases of bird-to-human transmission have occurred and raised concerns that human-to-human transmission may be possible. Therefore, it is vitally important to isolate any index case arising from bird-to-human transmission. Questionnaires were sent out to emergency departments throughout Scotland seeking ...

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis was isolated from mastitis cases in nine dairy cows in Israel. Six cases occurred on one farm (three instances of two cows, 2 months apart) and three cases on one farm each. Seven cows suffered from clinical and two from subclinical mastitis. All but two of the cows ...

Two cases of aberrant migration by the liver fluke Fasciola gigantica in humans are reported. In both cases, subadult worms emerged through the skin. The identity of the worms was confirmed from their DNA sequences. This uncommon human pathogen might be more likely than F. hepatica to undertake aberrant migrations ...

This paper describes the process of conducting critical case reviews as part of a leadership programme for critical care. Forty-five cases were reviewed over 2 years in five different hospitals and permission was sought from local research ethics committees and research and development committees for the discussions to be treated ...

The near-fatal occurrence of achalasia in a patient with pre-existing bulimia nervosa is described. The case emphasizes the critical importance of being alert to the development of new pathology in individuals with chronic symptoms, especially in the presence of psychological illness. It also raises the possibility of an additional mechanism ...

Rationale for the decision to transport and assessment of available resources are integral components of the decision for aeromedical evacuation of critically ill patients. We present the case of a 20-year-old man who sustained significant trauma after his vehicle struck a land mine. This case reviews and emphasizes the factors ...

Occupational asthma has been a recognized cause of respiratory disease for centuries, and bakers' asthma, in particular, has been well described. This case report identifies egg white protein as the trigger of asthma in an atopic baker. It highlights the clinical spectra of bakers' asthma, emphasizing the importance of occupational ...

Early examples of intentional human cranial deformation predate written history. Intentional cranial deformation as an extreme has seemingly not persisted into this century. However, mild forms of this manipulation are still practiced by various groups worldwide. Accidental cranial deformation or mild forms of intentional cranial deformation may be encountered by ...

A previous paper described the development of a leadership programme for critical care and highlighted that one of the strengths of the programme was the critical case review. This paper sets out in some depth the major theoretical influences in the construction of the case review. Case reviews have been ...

The fourth case of human infection with Rickettsia felis in Yucatán, Mexico was documented by serologic testing and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The role of R. felis in human disease has been demonstrated by molecular methods in a few patients from the U.S., Yucatán, Brazil and Germany. Apparently, there is ...

Due to its sensitivity, immunohistochemistry (IHC) of abnormal prion protein (PrPsc) is used to study experimental and natural cases of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans or scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in animals. The limits of detection are particularly critical when PrPsc IHC is ...

Bernard Gert's theory of morality has received much critical attention, but there has been relatively little commentary on its practical value for bioethics. An important test of an ethical theory is its ability to yield results that are helpful and plausible when applied to real cases. An examination of Gert's ...

Brown recluse spider bite is a common diagnosis in almost every state in America. In fact, cases have been reported in areas where the spider has never been seen. A review of medical literature reveals that most current concepts regarding brown recluse spider envenomation are based on supposition. In this ...

The first reported human case of trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosoma evansi was treated using suramin. Patient follow-up indicates that the drug and specific regimen used were well tolerated. Clinical, serological and parasitological investigations at 6 months indicate complete cure of the patient. Suramin should be considered in the treatment of ...

Case report articles or any articles that report serious consequences from a particular therapy should be evaluated with reasonable suspicion. The concerns of these articles may prove to be correct or not in time and therefore, it is necessary to take a wait-and-see posture. In time, the publication of similar ...

Ectopic mammary gland tissue in the vulva is an uncommon clinical or pathologic finding. Such ectopic tissue can be the site of the same physiologic and pathologic processes found in the normal breast. However, the occurrence of adenocarcinoma is very rare, the first case being reported by Greene in 1935. ...

In the critically ill, metabolic acidosis is a common observation and, in clinical practice, the cause of this derangement is often multi-factorial. Various measures are often employed to try and characterise the aetiology of metabolic acidosis, the most popular of which is the anion gap. The purpose of the anion ...

Human infection with the sheep nasal botfly Oestrus ovis is sporadic and is often the consequence of an accidental deposit of the larvae by an adult botfly in the eye. This infestation results in external ophthalmomyiasis that, although a very rare condition, is more common among people living close to ...

The question of the coexistence and potential interaction between the last Neanderthal and the earliest intrusive populations of anatomically modern humans in Europe has recently emerged as a topic of lively debate in the archaeological and anthropological literature. Here we report the results of radiocarbon accelerator dating for what has ...

Despite a growing global commitment to the provision of antiretroviral therapy (ART), its availability is still likely to be less than the need. This imbalance raises ethical dilemmas about who should be granted access to publicly-subsidized ART programmes. This paper reviews the eligibility and targeting criteria used in four case-study ...

The development of bacterial vaginosis (BV) among women of childbearing age and the resulting quantitative and qualitative shift from normally occurring lactobacilli in the vagina to a mixture of mainly anaerobic bacteria is a microbiological and immunological enigma that so far has precluded the formulation of a unifying generally accepted ...

In this review some of the criteria required for a viable chemical (+)-discodermolide production process are discussed by critical evaluation of the available literature approaches. A further route involving the use of polyketide synthase to produce (+)-discodermolide fragments by fermentation is also described. Both approaches have advantages and disadvantages and ...

"February 1, 1958."

"October 1, 1956."

Lumbar spondylolysis is a common cause of low back pain in adolescent athletes. It is a unilateral or bilateral defect of the pars interarticularis. The cause is still a matter of debate. A wide range of conservative treatments has been used. The purpose of this critical literature review is to ...

J.B.S. Haldane's photographs reveal that this eminent geneticist was also a militant political agitator. Deeply engaged in left-wing British politics, Haldane eventually joined the Communist party, but found it increasingly difficult to reconcile his scientific beliefs with his Marxist commitments. During the controversy over Stalin's rejection of genetics in favour ...

We present a Bayesian approach to the problem of inferring the number of inversions and translocations separating two species. The main reason for developing this method is that it will allow us to test hypotheses about the underlying mechanisms, such as the distribution of inversion track lengths or rate constancy ...