Further, we aimed to assess the ability of TS to improve uterine

Further, we aimed to assess the ability of TS to improve uterine blood flow in a rodent model of intrauterine growth restriction. Wire myography was used to assess vascular responses to the water-soluble derivative, sodium tanshinone IIA sulphonate (STS) or to the endothelium-dependent vasodilator, methylcholine. At mid-pregnancy, STS caused direct vasodilation of rat resistance

(pEC(50) mesenteric: 4.47 +/- 0.05 and uterine: 3.65 +/- 0.10) but not conduit (carotid) arteries. In late pregnancy, human myometrial arteries responded with a similar sensitivity to STS (pEC50 myometrial: 3.26 +/- 0.13). STS treatment for the last third of pregnancy in eNOS(-/-) mice increased uterine artery responses to methylcholine (E-max eNOS(-/-): 55.2 +/- 9.2% vs. eNOS(-/-) treated: 75.7 +/- 8.9%, p smaller than 0.0001). The promising

GNS-1480 nmr vascular effects, however, did not lead to improved uterine or umbilical blood flow in vivo, nor to improved fetal biometrics; body weight and crown-rump length. Further, STS treatment increased the uterine artery resistance index and decreased offspring body weight in control mice. Further research would be required to determine the safety and efficacy of use of STS in pregnancy.”
“Whereas muscle potentiation is consistently demonstrated with evoked contractile properties, the potentiation of functional and physiological measures is inconsistent. The objective was to compare a variety of conditioning stimuli https://www.selleckchem.com/products/nu7441.html volumes and intensities over a 15-min recovery period. Twelve volleyball players were subjected to conditioning stimuli that included 10 repetitions of half squats with 70% of 1-repetition maximum (RM) (10 x 70),

5 x 70, 5 x 85, 3 x 85, 3 x 90, 1 x 90, and control. Jump height, power, velocity, and force were measured at baseline, 1, 3, 5, 10, and 15 min. Data were analysed with a 2-way repeated measure ANOVA and magnitude-based inferences. The ANOVA indicated significant decreases Barasertib supplier in jump height, power, and velocity during recovery. This should not be interpreted that no potentiation occurred. Each dependent variable reached a peak at a slightly different time: peak jump height (2.8 +/- 2.3 min), mean power (3.6 +/- 3.01 min), peak power (2.5 +/- 1.8 min), and peak velocity (2.5 +/- 1.8 min). Magnitude-based inference revealed that both the 5 x 70 and 3 x 85 protocol elicited changes that exceeded 75% likelihood of exceeding the smallest worthwhile change (SWC) for peak power and velocity. The 10 x 70 and the 5 x 70 had a substantial likelihood of potentiating peak velocity and mean power above the SWC, respectively. Magnitude-based inferences revealed that while no protocol had a substantial likelihood of potentiating the peak vertical jump, the 5 x 70 had the most consistent substantial likelihood of increasing the peak of most dependent variables.

Histopathological study of the pancreas

Histopathological study of the pancreas FDA-approved Drug Library showed the protective role of polyphenolic extract.\n\nInterpretation & conclusions: Our study showed the antioxidant of effect polyphenolic extract of I frutescens in STZ induced experimental diabetes. The

results also suggested that this polyphenolic rich extract could be potentially useful for hyperglycaemia treatment to correct the diabetic state.”
“Great progress has been made in understanding the genetic architecture of phenotypic variation, but it is almost entirely focused on how the genotype of an individual affects the phenotype of that same individual. However, in many species the genotype of the mother is a major determinant of the phenotype of her offspring. Therefore, a complete picture of genetic architecture must include these maternal genetic effects, but they can be difficult to identify because maternal and offspring genotypes are correlated and therefore, partially confounded. We present a conceptual framework that overcomes this challenge to separate direct and maternal effects in intact families through an analysis that we call “statistical cross-fostering.” Our approach combines genotype data from mothers and their offspring to remove the confounding effects of the offspring’s

own genotype on measures of maternal genetic effects. We formalize our approach in an orthogonal model and apply this model to an experimental population of mice. We identify a set of six maternal genetic effect loci that explain a substantial portion of variation in body size at all ages. This variation would be missed in an approach focused solely on direct genetic effects, but is clearly a major component of genetic architecture.

Mdm2 inhibitor Our approach can easily be adapted to examine maternal effects in different systems, and because it does not require experimental manipulation, it provides a framework that can be used to understand Bafilomycin A1 Transmembrane Transporters inhibitor the contribution of maternal genetic effects in both natural and experimental populations.”
“Some studies suggest a higher risk of hypertension in people with epilepsy. Captopril, a potent and selective angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, is a well known antihypertensive drug. Besides the peripheral renin-angiotensin system (RAS), ACE inhibitors are also suggested to affect the brain RAS which might participate in the regulation of seizure susceptibility. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effect of captopril on the protective action of numerous antiepileptic drugs (carbamazepine [CBZ], phenytoin [PHT], valproate [VPA], phenobarbital [PB], oxcarbazepine [OXC], lamotrigine [LTG] and topiramate [TPM]) against maximal electroshock-induced seizures in mice. This study was accompanied by an evaluation of adverse effects of combined treatment with captopril and antiepileptic drugs in the passive avoidance task and chimney test. Captopril (25 and 50 mg/kg i.p.) did not influence the threshold for electroconvulsions.

The recombinant CF0218 was not recognized by antiserum against C

The recombinant CF0218 was not recognized by antiserum against C. trachomatis, suggesting that CF0218 is C. felis specific. CF0218 transcription during the course of C. felis infection was confirmed by reverse transcription-PCR. By indirect immunofluorescence analysis, CF0218 was colocalized with the C. felis-formed inclusion bodies in the infected cells. The antibody response against

CF0218 was elevated following C. felis infection but not by vaccination in experimentally vaccinated and infected cats. These results suggest that CF0218, a novel TMH family protein AZD2171 clinical trial of C. felis, possesses potential as a C. felis infection-specific diagnostic antigen.”
“We present the “sumLINK” statistic-the sum of multipoint LOD scores for the subset of pedigrees with nominally significant linkage evidence at a given locus-as an alternative to common methods to identify susceptibility loci in the presence of heterogeneity. We also suggest the “sumLOD” statistic (the sum of positive multipoint LOD scores) as a companion to the sumLINK. sumLINK analysis identifies genetic regions of extreme consistency across pedigrees without regard to negative evidence

from unlinked or uninformative pedigrees. Significance is determined by an innovative permutation procedure based on genome shuffling that randomizes linkage information across pedigrees. This procedure for generating the empirical null distribution may be useful for other linkage-based statistics

GSK1904529A mouse as well. EPZ5676 clinical trial Using 500 genome-wide analyses of simulated null data, we show that the genome shuffling procedure results in the correct type 1 error rates for both the sumLINK and sumLOD. The power of the statistics was tested using 100 sets of simulated genome-wide data from the alternative hypothesis from GAW13. Finally, we illustrate the statistics in an analysis of 190 aggressive prostate cancer pedigrees from the International Consortium for Prostate Cancer Genetics, where we identified a new susceptibility locus. We propose that the sumLINK and sumLOD are ideal for collaborative projects and meta-analyses, as they do not require any sharing of identifiable data between contributing institutions. Further, loci identified with the sumLINK have good potential for gene localization via statistical recombinant mapping, as, by definition, several linked pedigrees contribute to each peak. Genet. Epidemiol. 33:628-636, 2009. (C) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.”
“Mutations of SRY are the cause of 46,XY complete pure gonadal dysgenesis (PGD) in 10-15% of patients. In this study, DNA was isolated and sequenced from blood leukocytes and from paraffin-embedded gonadal tissue in five patients with 46,XY complete PGD. DNA binding capability was analyzed by three different methods. The structure of the full length SRY and its mutant proteins was carried out using a protein molecular model.

Procedural success rate, STR, corrected TIMI flame count, and are

Procedural success rate, STR, corrected TIMI flame count, and area under the curve of CK-MB and cTnI measurements after the procedure

were similar between patients with high collateralization and those with low collateralization (for all comparisons P>0.05). There were no differences in left ventricular ejection fraction and rates of MACE at 6 months according to baseline angiographic collaterals to occluded IRA.\n\nConclusions In patients with acute STEMI undergoing primary PCI within 12 hours of symptom-onset, coronary collateralization to the occluded IRA was influenced by clinical and angiographic features. Early recruitment of collaterals limits infarct size at baseline, but has no significant impact on myocardial reperfusion after the procedure and subsequent left ventricular function and clinical outcomes.”
“Background & aims: Low handgrip strength by dynamometry is associated with increased postoperative Vorinostat morbidity, AZD7762 clinical trial higher mortality and reduced quality of life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of four algorithms in diagnosing malnutrition by measuring handgrip strength.\n\nMethods: We included 504 consecutive preoperative outpatients. Reference standard for malnutrition was defined based on percentage involuntary weight loss and BMI. Diagnostic characteristics of the handgrip strength algorithms (Alvares-da-Silva, Klidjian, Matos,

Webb) were expressed by sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, false positive and negative rate.\n\nResults: The prevalence of malnutrition was 5.8%. Although Klidjian showed the highest sensitivity (79%, 95% Cl 62%-90%), 6 out of 29 malnourished patients were falsely identified Vactosertib as well-nourished (false positive rate 21%, 95% Cl 9%-38%). In contrast, this algorithm showed the lowest positive predictive value (8%, 95% Cl 5%-13%). Matos presented the highest positive predictive value; the post-test probability increased to 13% (95% Cl 8%-20%). The 1-minus negative predictive value ranged between 3% and 5% for all algorithms.\n\nConclusions: None of the algorithms derived from handgrip strength

measurements was found to have a diagnostic accuracy good enough to introduce handgrip strength as a systematic institutional screening tool to detect malnutrition in individual adult preoperative elective outpatients. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.”
“We present time domain 3-D wake field calculations based on Scattered-field Time Domain Boundary Element Method (S-TDBEM), which is retarded Kirchhoff’s boundary integral equations of scattered electromagnetic fields formulated on interior region problem and has no numerical dispersion in all spatial direction. We propose two main types of S-TDBEM schemes: full 3-D scheme for general 3-D geometries and a so-called 2.

) is an important crop for the production of bioproducts derived

) is an important crop for the production of bioproducts derived from its seed and stem fiber. Transposable elements (TEs) are widespread selleck inhibitor in plant genomes and are a key component of their evolution. The availability of a genome assembly of flax (Linum usitatissimum) affords new opportunities to explore the diversity of TEs and their relationship to genes and gene expression.\n\nResults: Four de novo repeat identification algorithms (PILER, RepeatScout, LTR_finder and LTR_STRUC) were applied to the flax genome assembly. The resulting library of flax repeats was combined with the RepBase Viridiplantae

division and used with RepeatMasker to identify TEs coverage in the genome. LTR retrotransposons were the most abundant TEs (17.2% genome coverage), followed by Long Interspersed Nuclear Element (LINE) retrotransposons (2.10%) and Mutator DNA transposons (1.99%). Comparison of putative flax TEs to flax transcript databases indicated GM6001 in vitro that TEs are not highly expressed in flax.

However, the presence of recent insertions, defined by 100% intra-element LTR similarity, provided evidence for recent TE activity. Spatial analysis showed TE-rich regions, gene-rich regions as well as regions with similar genes and TE density. Monte Carlo simulations for the 71 largest scaffolds (>= 1 Mb each) did not show any regional differences in the frequency of TE overlap with gene coding sequences. However, differences between TE superfamilies were found in their proximity to genes. Genes within TE-rich regions also appeared to have lower transcript expression, based on EST abundance. When LTR elements were compared, Copia showed more diversity, recent insertions and conserved domains than the Gypsy, demonstrating their importance in genome evolution.\n\nConclusions: The calculated 23.06% TE coverage of the flax WGS assembly is at the low end of the range of TE coverages reported in other eudicots, although this estimate does not include TEs likely found in unassembled repetitive

regions of the genome. LEE011 molecular weight Since enrichment for TEs in genomic regions was associated with reduced expression of neighbouring genes, and many members of the Copia LTR superfamily are inserted close to coding regions, we suggest Copia elements have a greater influence on recent flax genome evolution while Gypsy elements have become residual and highly mutated.”
“Treatment with cytoplasmic extracts from Xenopus laevis eggs represents a potential tool for universal cellular reprogramming. However, the biochemical activity and quality of the extract vary from batch to batch. This study aimed to evaluate three different extract batches prepared by the same method based on the colony formation of cells after extract treatment, and subsequent in vitro cloning efficiency using treated cells as chromatin donors. Porcine fetal fibroblasts were treated with each batch of extract, and cultured in embryonic stem cell (ES) medium for 12 days.

The objective of this meta-analysis was to evaluate

the i

The objective of this meta-analysis was to evaluate

the incidence, mortality rate, length of stay, and pathogens associated with ICU-acquired pneumonia in China. Methods: A meta-analysis and systematic review of 334 publications published Bafilomycin A1 mw between January 2007 and May 2012 and retrieved from the Chinese BioMedical database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Chinese Science and Technique Journals database, Wanfang database, and PubMed was conducted. Results: The incidences of ICU-acquired pneumonia and VAP were 16.2% (95% confidence interval (CI) 12.8-20.4%) and 33.7% (95% CI 31.4-36.1%), respectively; mortality rates were 37.4% (95% CI 24.6-52.2%) and 34.5% (95% CI 29.2-40.1%), respectively. The durations of stay in the ICU and hospital were 12.4 (95% CI 9.6-15.3) and 17.7 (95% CI 15.6-19.7) days and 18.0 (95% CI 16.5-19.6) and 30.5 (95% CI 26.4-34.7) days

for ICU-acquired pneumonia and VAP, respectively. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (19.9%) and Acinetobacter click here baumannii (13.9%) were the most frequently isolated pathogens, followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (11.9%) and Staphylococcus aureus (10.4%); 82.9% of S. aureus isolates were reported to be methicillin-resistant. Conclusions: ICU-acquired pneumonia/VAP remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients in the ICU in China. Data on organisms causing disease in this population could help guide appropriate prevention strategies and treatment. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of International Society for Infectious Diseases.”
“PURPOSE. CERKL encodes for a ceramide kinase (CERK)-like protein. CERKL mutations are associated with severe retinal degeneration. Several studies have been conducted to prove a biochemical similarity between CERK and CERKL enzymatic activities. However, so far there has been no evidence that CERKL phosphorylates ceramide or

any other lipid substrate in vitro or in vivo. The purpose of this work was to characterize CERKL’s function by identification of CERKL-interacting proteins in the mammalian retina.\n\nMETHODS. CERKL-interacting proteins were identified implementing the Ras-recruitment system (RRS) CP-868596 nmr on a bovine retina cDNA library. Co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) in transfected cells and in photoreceptor outer segments was used to verify the identified interactions. Serial deletion constructs were used to map the interacting sites. CERKL’s kinase activity was tested by a CERK activity assay.\n\nRESULTS. We identified an interaction between CERKL and several neuronal calcium sensor (NCS) proteins, including guanylate cyclase activating protein 1 (GCAP1), GCAP2, and recoverin. These interactions were confirmed by co-IP experiments in transfected mammalian cells. Moreover, the interaction between endogenous CERKL and GCAP2 was confirmed by co-IP in photoreceptor outer segments.

STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: A prospective cohort study conducted at

\n\nSTUDY DESIGN/SETTING: A prospective cohort study conducted at an academic out patient

clinic.\n\nPATIENT SAMPLE: One hundred forty-one patients undergoing surgery for lumbar or cervical degenerative Selleck KU-57788 conditions.\n\nOUTCOME MEASURES: Self-reported pain and disability were measured with the Brief Pain Inventory and the Oswestry Disability Index/Neck Disability Index, respectively. The physical composite scale of the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) measured physical health.\n\nMETHODS: Data collection occurred preoperatively and at 6 weeks and 6 months following surgery. Fear of movement was measured with the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia and depression with the Prime-MD PHQ-9.\n\nRESULTS: One hundred and twenty patients (85% follow-up) completed the 6-month postoperative assessment. Multivariable mixed-method linear regression analyses found that early postoperative fear of movement (6 weeks) predicted pain intensity, pain interference, disability, and physical health at 6-month follow-up (p<.05). Preoperative and early postoperative depression predicted pain interference, disability, and physical health.\n\nCONCLUSION:

Results provide support for the fear-avoidance model in a postsurgical LDK378 spine population. Early postoperative screening for fear of movement and depressive symptoms that do not acutely improve following surgical intervention appears warranted. Cognitive and behavioral strategies may be beneficial for postsurgical patients with

high fear of movement and/or depressive symptoms. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“ObjectiveTo illustrate the variability in the use of antibiotic prophylaxis for caesarean section, and its effect on the prevention of postoperative infections.\n\nDesignSecondary analysis of a cross-sectional study.\n\nSettingTwenty-nine countries participating in the World Health Organization Multicountry Survey on Maternal and Newborn ABT-263 nmr Health.\n\nPopulationThree hundred and fifty-nine health facilities with the capacity to perform caesarean section.\n\nMethodsDescriptive analysis and effect estimates using multilevel logistic regression.\n\nMain outcome measuresCoverage of antibiotic prophylaxis for caesarean section.\n\nResultsA total of 89 121 caesarean sections were performed in 332 of the 359 facilities included in the survey; 87% under prophylactic antibiotic coverage. Thirty five facilities provided 0-49% coverage and 77 facilities provided 50-89% coverage. Institutional coverage of prophylactic antibiotics varied greatly within most countries, and was related to guideline use and the practice of clinical audits, but not to the size, location of the institution or development index of the country. Mothers with complications, such as HIV infection, anaemia, or pre-eclampsia/eclampsia, were more likely to receive antibiotic prophylaxis.

Conclusions: Sustained supplementation of HIV-infected breast

\n\nConclusions: Sustained supplementation of HIV-infected breastfeeding mothers with

MV could be a safe and effective intervention to improve vitamin E concentrations in breast milk. VA+BC supplementation increases concentrations of breast milk retinol but it is not recommended in HIV-infected mothers due to the elevated risk of vertical transmission.”
“With Salubrinal order the exception of oral medications, most traditional forms of drug delivery outside the operating suite require an injection with a needle-a process that is painful and anxiety-provoking, risks needle stick injury, and consumes valuable staff time. In addition, intravenous access in pediatrics may be difficult for inexperienced providers. Intranasal medication delivery offers an alternative method of drug delivery that is often as fast in onset as intravenous medication,

usually painless, inexpensive, Cell Cycle inhibitor easy to deliver, and effective in a variety of acute pediatric medical conditions. This article briefly reviews the most common uses for intranasal medication delivery in pediatrics: pain control, anxiolysis, and seizure control. Pediatrics 2010; 126: 532-537″
“In Germany, coverage decisions in the statutory health insurance (SHI) system are based on the principles of evidence-based medicine. Recently, an evidence assessment by the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) of the oral antidiabetics selleck chemicals llc of the glinide class showed that their long-term benefit is not proven. Accordingly, the responsible Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) decided to exclude glinides from prescription in the SHI system. This was,

however, objected to by the Ministry of Health, which is charged with legal supervision. We use this case to illustrate the path from evidence assessments to coverage decisions in Germany against the background of the latest health reform, which has changed the legal requirements for evidence assessments and the ensuing coverage decisions. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Arthropods at different stages of development collected from human remains in an advanced stage of decomposition (following autopsy) and from the soil at the scene are reported. The corpse was found in a mixed deciduous forest of Biscay (northern Spain). Soil fauna was extracted by sieving the soil where the corpse lay and placing the remains in Berlese-Tullgren funnels. Necrophagous fauna on the human remains was dominated by the fly Piophilidae: Stearibia nigriceps (Meigen, 1826), mites Ascidae: Proctolaelaps epuraeae (Hirschmann, 1963), Laelapidae: Hypoaspis (Gaeolaelaps) aculeifer (Canestrini, 1884), and the beetle Cleridae: Necrobia rufipes (de Geer, 1775). We confirm the importance of edaphic fauna, especially if the deceased is discovered in natural environs. Related fauna may remain for days after corpse removal and reveal information related to the circumstances of death.

Males accounted for 51 6% of cases, while females accounted for 4

Males accounted for 51.6% of cases, while females accounted for 48.4% of cases,

amounting to a male to female ratio of 1.06:1.00. Disease specific survival at 5, 10, 15, and 20 years was 65.2%, 50.9%, 40.9%, and 36.5%, respectively. When analyzed by gender, females had higher survival than males, although this difference was not statistically significant. When analyzed by race, the category of other, which encompasses American Indian, Asian, Hispanic, GW786034 datasheet and unknown or unspecified race, was shown to have the best survival, followed by whites and blacks, respectively. ConclusionSNAC is a rare tumor classically associated with occupational exposure and carries a variable prognosis. This is the first dedicated large-scale, retrospective analysis of a North American SNAC population. SNAC appears to affect both males and females equally and predominantly Selleckchem PLX4032 affects whites. Patients categorized as other had significantly better survival outcomes, while gender appeared to have no significant effect on survival.”
“BACKGROUNDThe purpose of this study was to assess patterns of cancer occurrence during pregnancy and the postpartum

period. METHODSThis was a register-based study using data from the Swedish Multi-Generation Register and the National Cancer Register from 1963 to 2007. Pregnancy-associated cancer (PAC) was defined as a malignancy detected during pregnancy or within 2 years of delivery and was assessed in 7 time windows: pregnancy, trimesters 1-3, 0-6 months, 7-12 months, and second year postpartum. Population incidence rates by 5-year age groups and periods were used to estimate the expected number of PACs for each site. The observed versus the expected (O/E) number

Vorinostat cost of cases was estimated with 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTSThe 3 most common malignancies during pregnancy were melanoma (n=232), breast (n=139) and cervical cancer (n=139). With a slightly different rank order, these cancers are also the most common in women of childbearing age. The number of observed cases during pregnancy was lower than expected for all cancers, with a combined O/E ratio for all sites of 0.46 (95% CI, 0.43-0.49). The O/E ratio was close to 1 during all postpartum intervals, including 0-6 months (0.93; 95% CI, 0.88-0.98), 7-12 months (0.96; 95% CI, 0.91-1.01), and during the second year after delivery (0.95; 95% CI, 0.92-0.99). CONCLUSIONSThe rate of cancer during pregnancy was lower than expected for all sites, a finding that could not be explained entirely by delayed diagnosis. A rebound in the number of observed cases after delivery was restricted to melanoma, nervous system malignancies, and breast and thyroid cancer. Cancer 2015;121:2072-2077. (c) 2015 American Cancer Society. Fewer cancers than expected are found during pregnancy, a finding that cannot be explained entirely by delayed diagnosis.

The expression and activity of carriers involved in placental lip

The expression and activity of carriers involved in placental lipid transport are influenced by the endocrine, inflammatory and metabolic milieu of obesity, and further studies are needed to elucidate the strong association between maternal PD173074 in vivo obesity

and fetal overgrowth.”
“General anaesthesia (GA) carries high risks of ventilator dependency with increased morbidity and mortality in patients with severe respiratory disease. It also presents an ethical dilemma if surgery remains the only treatment option for patients with advanced terminal chronic respiratory disease. Thoracic epidural anaesthesia for awake thoracic surgery (TEATS) in high-risk patients with dyspnoea at rest could avoid ventilator dependency and speed up recovery even in patients with severe dyspnoea. This retrospective observational study analysed indications, management and outcome of patients contraindicated to GA undergoing awake thoracic surgery with thoracic epidural anaesthesia. From 716 patients requiring thoracic surgery, nine were contraindicated to GA. Eight patients [American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) 4] had a maximum grade four of the modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale (MMRC). Two patients (ASA 3, grade 1

MMRC and ASA 4, grade 4 MMRC) refused GA. Patients (female : male ratio 1.25 : 1, age 19-76 years) had the following chronic respiratory diseases: pulmonary fibrosis (n = 2), pulmonary metastases (n = 3),

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (n = 1), alveolitis GSK2399872A in vitro (n = 1) and myopathy (n = 2). Surgical indications were: thoracotomy (n = 6) for pleurectomy to treat recurring BAY 73-4506 purchase pneumothorax (n = 3), pleurostomy (n = 1), emphysema surgery (n = 1), lung biopsy (n = 1) and thoracoscopy (n = 3) for pleural/lung biopsy (n = 2), pneumothorax (n = 1). Lidocaine 20 mg/ml or ropivacaine 7.5 mg/ml was titrated to achieve an anaesthesia level T2-T12. No patient required GA [time of surgery: 46-128 min, mean = 76 min, standard deviation (SD) = 23 min]. Seven patients had light sedation with TCI propofol, remifentanyl or both and remained responsive. Fifty percent of patients received phenylephrine or ephedrine to maintain arterial pressure. Two patients went into hypercapnia, which was reversed with assisted mask ventilation. One patient suffered acute respiratory distress 7 days postoperatively and died of intestinal bleeding on Day 25. There were no postoperative complications in other patients. Excluding Patient 9 always remaining in a medical intensive care unit (ICU), the mean postoperative ICU stay in thoracic surgery was 4.4 days (SD 5.2). Hospital discharge was between 5 and 40 days after surgery. TEATS with/without sedation was an alternative to GA for thoracotomy/thoracoscopy in severely dyspnoeic patients (MMRC grade 4, ASA 4) without postoperative sequelae.