Background Reduced bone mass predisposes patients to the development of vertebral fractures. Measurement of bone mass by non-invasive methods is used to detect patients with involutional osteoporosis at risk from fractures. These methods have not been assessed in patients with steroid dependent osteoporosis. The objective of this study was to assess the value of a predictive fracture threshold value of bone density in patients with steroid dependent asthma. Methods Three groups of patients were studied. Group 1 (67 patients) had steroid dependent asthma (mean daily dose of prednisone 11-7 mg) and no vertebral fractures, group 2 (32 patients) had steroid dependent asthma (mean daily dose of prednisone 12 mg) and vertebral fractures, and group 3 (55 patients) were not taking steroids but had involutional osteoporosis and a recent non-traumatic vertebral fracture. Bone mineral density was measured by dual photon absorptiometry and vertebral fractures by radiography of the lumbar spine. A fracture threshold was determined in the two groups with fractures as the 90th percentile of the mean bone mineral density measured in the lumbar spine. Results Bone mineral density was significantly higher in the steroid dependent group with fractures (group 2) than in group 3 patients, who had involutional

Available evidence suggests that fracture prediction with bone densitometry may improve when used on people at high risk of osteoporotic fractures. The objectives of this literature review were: (1) to identify risk factors for fracture that are associated with the development of a low bone mass for both men and women; (2) to describe and assess the relationship between these factors and the risk of fracture; and (3) to classify them according to the strength of their association with fracture incidence. Studies were identified from MEDLINE (1982-1997), HealthSTAR (1975-1997) and The Cochrane Library (1997) databases. Pre-stated inclusion criteria (original analytic studies assessing risk factors for osteoporotic fractures in men and women) and methodologic quality were assessed by two independent investigators. Information on the study design and analysis, characteristics of participants, exposure (risk factor) and outcome measures (relative risk and odds ratios for fracture incidence), control for potential confounding factors and risk estimates was extracted using a standardized protocol. Qualitative and meta-analytic techniques were used for data synthesis. As a result, risk factors were classified into three groups according to their strength of association with fracture: high risk (RR > or = 2), moderate risk (1 < RR < 2) and no risk or protective (RR < or = 1). Of approximately 80 risk factors identified from 94 cohort and 72 case-control studies, 15% were classified in the high-risk group, including low body weight, loss of weight, physical inactivity, the consumption of corticosteroids or anticonvulsants, primary hyperparathyroidism, diabetes mellitus type 1, anorexia nervosa, gastrectomy, pernicious anemia, and aging (> 70-80 years). Eighteen percent and 8% of risk factors were classified in the moderate and no risk group respectively, whereas 60% showed either a lack of scientific evidence confirming their association with fracture or contradictory results. An efficient strategy for bone densitometry provision may thus be its selective use in those individuals who present with several strong or moderate risk factors for fracture related to bone mass loss.

Therapeutic immunization with autologous monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) loaded with heat-inactivated autologous human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in 12 patients with chronic HIV-1 infection who were receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) was feasible, safe, and well tolerated. Virus was obtained during an initial interruption of HAART (hereafter, "stop 1") so that DCs could be pulsed. After immunization and a second interruption of HAART (hereafter, "stop 2"), set-point plasma viral load (PVL; 24 weeks after stop 2) decreased > or =0.5 log(10) copies/mL relative to baseline PVL in 4 of 12 patients. We observed a significant lengthening in mean doubling time of PVL rebound and significant decreases in the area under the curve and the mean peak of PVL rebound after stop 2, compared with those after stop 1. This response was associated with changes in HIV-1-specific CD4(+) lymphoproliferative and CD8(+) T cell responses. These changes were not observed in a group of nonimmunized control patients.

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Abstract-The widespread usage of the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) has motivated the development of fast DWT algorithms and their tuning on all sorts of computer systems. Several studies have compared the performance of the most popular schemes, known as Filter Bank Scheme (FBS) and Lifting Scheme (LS), and have always concluded that LS is the most efficient option. However, there is no such study on streaming processors such as modern Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). Current trends have transformed these devices into powerful stream processors with enough flexibility to perform intensive and complex floating-point calculations. The opportunities opened up by these platforms, as well as the growing popularity of the DWT within the computer graphics field, make a new performance comparison of great practical interest. Our study indicates that FBS outperforms LS in current-generation GPUs. In our experiments, the actual FBS gains range between 10 percent and 140 percent, depending on the problem size and the type and length of the wavelet filter. Moreover, design trends suggest higher gains in future-generation GPUs.

No abstract

Summary:Purpose: Seizures with ictal laughter (also termed gelastic seizures) have been associated with hypothalamic hamartomas and precocious puberty. It is not known, however, where in the brain such seizures originate. We describe a child with gelastic seizures and a hypothalamic lesion (probably a hamartoma) in whom two dysfunctional phenomena were observed.Results: First, there was a hyperperfusion in the hypothalamopituitary areas shown by ictal [99m]Tc hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (HM-PAO) single photon-emission computed tomography (SPECT). Second, there was an ictal pulse of gonadotropins, 17P-estradiol, and growth hormone well above the normal limits in one of the seizures.Conclusion: These findings suggest that gelastic seizures associated with hypothalamic hamartomas are generated in the hypothalamus or in its neighboring regions and that these seizures may cause paroxysmal dysfunction of the hypothalamopitutary axis.

No abstract