This topic is relevant as the improved understanding of these disorders has not only led to a better definition of clinical course and to the development of standards of care for individual types of muscular dystrophies, but also culminated in different therapeutic approaches.Recent

findingsRecent natural history studies have demonstrated the impact of new standards of care in different forms of muscular dystrophies, Epigenetics inhibitor and identified areas of clinical management in which further developments are needed. The majority of the experimental studies are focused on Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Some of them target patients with specific mutations, such as antisense oligonucleotides, to induce exon skipping of specific mutations or drugs developed to allow read-through of nonsense mutations, whereas other therapies deal with secondary aspects of muscle degeneration, aiming, for example, at reducing inflammation or apoptosis, and may also be suitable for other forms of muscular dystrophies.SummaryThe advances in the field of muscular dystrophy have resulted in improved clinical course and survival. The encouraging results of early experimental studies could further improve these outcomes in the future.”
“Congenital

spinal vertebral anomalies may present with deformity resulting in congenital MRT67307 clinical trial scoliosis and kyphosis. This leads to abnormal spinal growth. The latter when combined with associated Galardin rib fusions may impair normal thoracic cage development and resultant pulmonary hypoplasia. Most congenital scoliosis can be detected in utero by ultrasound scan or recognized in the neonatal period, but a few spinal defects can remain undetected.

In this Grand Round, we present the case of a 7-year-old girl with a severe scoliosis and thoracic insufficiency syndrome (TIS). 3D CT reconstruction imaging demonstrated a mixed picture of fusion

and segmentation abnormalities. A marked kyphoscoliosis was demonstrated at the thoraco-lumbar junction. Via a left thoracotomy, anterior excision of intervertebral discs was performed together with, interbody fusion, and in situ stabilisation of the kyphosis with double allograft (femur) strut grafts.

This article highlights the features of congenital kypho-scoliosis and TIS. The difficulties of treating kyphosis when combined with TIS are discussed together with the limitations of current surgical techniques.”
“One of the most important factors in increasing the screening potential of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) for aneuploidy is to increase the number of chromosomes analysed. Inclusion of chromosomes 8, 14 and 20 to the standard set of chromosomes X, Y, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21 and 22 allows the analysis of 12 chromosomes in three rounds of fluorescent in-situ hybridization (FISH) without decreasing the efficiency of the technique.

“
“Objectives: To analyze the clinical characteristics, outcomes, and patterns of association with the different biologic agents used in all reported cases of adult patients developing interstitial lung disease (ILD) after biologic therapy.

Methods: In 2006, the Study Group on Autoimmune Diseases of the Spanish Society of Internal Medicine created the BIOGEAS

project. One objective was to collect data on autoimmune diseases secondary to the use of biologic agents by quarterly Medline search surveillance of reported cases. For this study, the baseline included articles published between January 1990 and March 2010, including the MeSH term Selleckchem HDAC inhibitor “”lung diseases, interstitial”" as the key research term. In addition, we report an unpublished case of ILD secondary to biologic therapy.

Results: There are 122 reported cases of new-onset or exacerbation of ILD secondary to administration of biologic therapies. Biologic agents associated with ILD were overwhelmingly anti-tumor necrosis factor agents (etanercept in 58 cases and infliximab in 56) and were administered for rheumatoid arthritis in 108 (89%) patients. ILD appeared a mean of 26 weeks after initiation of biologic agents. ILD was confirmed by pulmonary biopsy in 26 cases, although a specific histopathologic description was detailed Selleck Nepicastat in only 20: 7 patients were classified as usual interstitial

pneumonia, 6 as nonspecific interstitial pneumonia,

5 as organizing pneumonia, 1 as diffuse alveolar damage, and 1 as lymphoid interstitial pneumonia. Treatment of ILD included withdrawal of biologic agents in all cases but 1. The outcome of ILD was detailed in 52 cases. Complete resolution was reported in 21 (40%) cases, improvement or partial resolution in 13 (25%), and no resolution in 18 (35%). Fifteen (29%) patients died during the follow-up, the majority (70%) during the first 5 weeks after initiating biologic therapy. In comparison with survivors, patients who died were aged >65 years (67% vs 33%, P = 0.036), with later onset of ILD (46 weeks eFT-508 mouse vs 15 weeks, P = 0.006), received immunosuppressive drugs more frequently (33% vs 8%, P = 0.036), and more often had a previous diagnosis of ILD (67% vs 29%, P = 0.025).

Conclusions: We found that 97% of cases of ILD associated with biologic agents were associated with agents blocking tumor necrosis factor-a, a cytokine that has been implicated in the pathophysiology of pulmonary fibrosis. Strikingly, drug-induced ILD had a poor prognosis, with an overall mortality rate of around one third, rising to two thirds in patients with preexisting ILD. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Semin Arthritis Rheum 41:256-264″
“Cross-sectional surveys depend on retrospective health transition questions (HTQ) to estimate recent changes in health status.

The complex has been obtained in the reaction of AF and K(2)PtCl(4). There are no data concerning evaluation of structural studies

of cis-BAFDP, the beneficial anticancer properties of which were proved in vitro and in vivo. Therefore it was worthwhile to undertake a confirmation of the chemical structure of this compound by applying various spectroscopic techniques especially because of its potential pharmacological application. With this aim in mind this compound was characterized by: IR, (1)H NMR, (195)Pt NMR, UV absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. Moreover, stronger apoptosis induction by cis-BAFDP than cis-DDP in the human non-small cancer cell line A549 was observed using Hoechst 33258/propidium iodide double staining.”
“Objective: To investigate the influence of operation “”Cast Lead”" on rates of preterm EPZ-6438 cost delivery (PTD) and other adverse pregnancy outcomes at the main region under missile attack during the operation. Methods: A retrospective cohort study comparing pregnancy and delivery outcomes of women who gave birth EVP4593 cell line at the time of the military operation “”Cast Lead”"

with women who gave birth at the same time period 1 and 2 years before and after the war. Results: Out of 1272 women exposed to stress during the war, there were 126 preterm deliveries (9.9%) as compared with 381 preterm deliveries (9.6%) among the 3984 women of the control group (p = 0.719). The group exposed to stress of the

military campaign had significantly more preterm deliveries at gestational age 32-34 weeks (1.6% vs. 0.8%; RR = 2.04, p = 0.011). Conclusion: Military operation period was adversely associated with an increase in the rate of early PTD (<34 weeks gestation). From a public health perspective, pregnant women should be considered a special population and should be taken into account in a preparedness program for an emergency crisis and must be an important part of the public agenda and the state’s infrastructure.”
“The purpose of this study is to compare the bioavailability of two itraconazole (CAS 84625-61-6) capsule formulations. An open, randomized, two-period crossover study with a 7-day washout interval was conduced in 32 healthy PR-171 clinical trial volunteers. The plasma samples were obtained up to 96 h after drug administration. A sensitive and specific liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the determination of itraconazole in human plasma. Itraconazole and ketoconazole (internal standard) were extracted from the plasma by liquid-liquid extraction using diethylether:dichloromethane (70:30) as extraction solvent and separated on a C(8) analytical column (150 mm x 4.6 mm I.D.) maintained at 40 degrees C. The elution was performed by a constant flow rate of 1.2 mL/min and the mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile and acetic acid 0.1% (85:15 v/v).

6, 95%CI 2.9-193.4, P = 0.002). The median MIC for each mutation was as follows: rpsL43 = 256 mu g/ml, rpsL88 = 16 mu g/ml, 515 loop = 4 mu g/ml, 910 region = 8 mu g/ml, and double mutation = 256 mu g/ml. We found a strong association between rpsL43 and high drug resistance levels, with all rpsL43 mutants having an MIC >256 mu g/ml (P < 0.001).”
“In this website this study, we evaluated the anthelmintic activity of the liquid extracted from the bark of the green coconut (LBGC), as well as butanol extract obtained from LBGC, on mouse intestinal nematodes. Thirty-six

naturally infected mice were distributed into six groups receiving the following treatments: Group I: 1000 mg/kg of LBGC; Group II: 2000 mg/kg of LBGC; Group III: 500 mg/kg of butanol extract; Group IV: 1000 mg/kg of butanol extract; Group V: 0.56 mg/kg febendazole; and Group VI: 3% dimethyl-sulfoxide. The chemical composition of the LBGC and its butanol extract was determined by phytochemical SBC-115076 ic50 tests. A dose of 1000 mg/kg of butanol extract had 90.70% efficacy in reducing the mouse worm burden (p < 0.05). Phytochemical tests revealed the presence of triterpens, saponnins and condensed tannins in the LBGC and butanol extracts. These results suggest that Cocos nucifera extracts may be useful in the control of intestinal nematodes. (C) 2009 Elsevier

Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“OBJECTIVE: To evaluate immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin A (IgA) responses to tuberculous-glycolipid antigen (TBGL-IgG and -IgA) in pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients and healthy controls in Thailand.

DESIGN: Anti-TBGL antibody titres and other TB related markers were measured in the serum samples of 24 adults with pulmonary TB (PTB), 28 healthy adults (HA), 23 children with TB and 24 healthy children. RESULT: Both TBGL-IgG and -IgA titres were significantly higher only in Selleckchem AL3818 adult PTB cases compared to controls (P

< 0.001 for all). TBGL-IgG was highly sensitive (92%) in PTB patients, but frequent positive proportions of TBGL-IgG (46%) and -IgA (36%) in HAs were the cause of low specificities of TBGL-IgG (54%) and -IgA (64%); that of TBGL-IgG+IgA (75%) was the highest. Antibody titres were positively correlated in TBGL-IgG+IgA double-positive HAs (HA+, 7/28, P < 0.01), but not in HA- (P > 0.05). Serum IgG and IgA levels were not correlated with TBGL-IgG or -IgA levels (P > 0.05). KL-6 and leptin levels were normal and were not different between HA+ and HA, indicating absence of active TB in HAs.

CONCLUSION: Enhanced TBGL-IgG+IgA responses in HAs could indicate latent TB infection. Careful follow-up studies in HAs could clarify the significance of elevated TBGL antibodies as early disease markers.”
“Imaging study of thoracic spine.

The purpose of this study was to investigate dynamic alignment and range of motion (ROM) at all segmental levels of thoracic spine.

Thoracic spine is considered to have restricted ROM because of restriction by the rib cage.

The characteristics of the sound spectra agreed with those of the sibilant /s/ sound emitted by our control individual. Such a physical perspective could yield knowledge useful for oral surgery and speech science – for example, to predict how the generation of sibilants may be occasionally affected by orthodontic and prosthodontic

treatments.”
“The development of biophysical models of the heart has the potential to get insights in the patho-physiology of the heart, which requires to accurately modeling anatomy and function. The electrical activation sequence of the ventricles depends strongly on the cardiac conduction system (CCS). Its morphology and function cannot be observed in vivo, and therefore data available come from histological studies. We present a review Selleck SB203580 on data available of the peripheral CCS JNK inhibitor including new experiments. In order to build a realistic model of the CCS we designed a procedure to extract morphological characteristics of the CCS from stained calf tissue samples. A CCS model personalized with our measurements has been built using L-systems. The effect of key unknown parameters of the model in the electrical activation

of the left ventricle has been analyzed. The CCS models generated share the main characteristics of observed stained Purkinje networks. The timing of the simulated electrical activation sequences Dorsomorphin purchase were in the physiological range for CCS models that included enough density of PMJs. These results show that this approach is a potential methodology for collecting knowledge-domain data and build improved CCS models of the heart automatically.”
“We evaluated the reliability and validity of an adapted Korean version

of the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ). Translation/retranslation of the English version of RMDQ was conducted, and all steps of the cross-cultural adaptation process were performed. The Korean version of the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) measure of pain, RMDQ, and the previously validated Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were mailed to 100 consecutive patients with chronic lower back pain (LBP) of at least 3 months. Eighty-one patients responded to the first mailing of questionnaires and 63 of the first-time responder returned their second survey. The average age of the 63 patients (45 female, 18 male) was 47.8 years. Reliability assessment was determined by estimating kappa statistics of agreement for each item, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and Cronbach’s alpha. Concurrent validity was evaluated by comparing the responses of RMDQ with the results of VAS and responses of ODI by using Pearson’s correlation coefficient.

Materials and methods: HTB140 cells were irradiated at four positions: plateau,

middle, distal end and distal declining edge of the 62 MeV proton SOBP. Doses ranged from 2-16 Gy. They were normalised in the middle of SOBP and delivered following the axial physical dose profile. Survival, proliferation and cell cycle were assessed seven days after irradiation.

Results: Moving from proximal to distal irradiation position surviving fractions at 2 Gy (SF2) decreased from 0.88-0.59. Increased radiosensitivity of the cells was noticed for the doses below find more 4 Gy, resulting in two gradients of cell inactivation, stronger for lower and weaker for higher doses. Relative biological effectiveness (RBE) increased from 1.68-2.84 at the distal end of SOBP. A further rise of RBE reaching 7.14 was at its distal declining edge. Following the axial physical dose profile of SOBP the strongest inactivation was attained at its distal end and was comparable to that at its declining edge.

Conclusions: Survival data confirmed selleck very high radioresistance of HTB140 cells. An effect similar to low-dose hyper radiosensitivity (HRS) was observed for order of magnitude larger doses. Better response of cells

to protons than to gamma-rays was illustrated by rather high RBE. Strong killing ability at the SOBP distal declining edge was the consequence of increasing proton linear energy transfer.”
“Nicotinamide DMXAA adenine dinucleotide (NAD ()) is synthesized by the action of nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase (NMNAT) from NMN and ATP. The mouse homolog of NMNAT-2 (mmNMNAT-2) was cloned,

expressed, and subsequently identified using MALDI-TOF in conjunction with the ProFound database. Circular dichroism analyses of recombinant mmNMNAT-2 showed alpha helical beta and sheet secondary structures, consistent with the known structure of the human isoform. Competition experiments using mouse pancreatic tissue lysates with recombinant mmNMNAT-2 demonstrated that the activity of the expressed protein was similar to the human isoform. Immunohistochemistry of mouse embryonic tissues with hNMNAT-2 also showed a tissue- and cellular-specific expression of this isoform. Therefore, our studies demonstrate for the first time the clear biological evidence for the existence of a mouse isoform of hNMNAT-2. These studies may help in future investigations aimed at understanding the regulation of this gene and its pathway, and in turn, will spur the development of novel therapies for diseases such as cancer and diabetes since mice are the most frequently used experimental system for in vivo studies.

This possibly allows acinar cells to expand as A-1331852 supplier secretory granules accumulate intracellularly to produce the great acinar enlargement. This functional myoepithelial insufficiency is possibly a consequence of an autonomic neuropathy secondary to severe metabolic or hormonal disorders. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral

Radiol Endod 2010; 110: 218-223)”
“No studies have reported the long-term effects of entecavir switching in patients with multidrug resistance who developed resistance after lamivudine/adefovir sequential therapy. We evaluated the efficacy of 96 weeks of entecavir therapy in patients with resistance to lamivudine/adefovir sequential therapy. In total, 33 patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection with evidence of active viral replication (HBV DNA levels >= 10(5) copies/mL) or a history of treatment failure

to lamivudine/adefovir sequential therapy between April 2007 and July 2009 were treated with entecavir (1.0 mg daily) for at least 48 weeks. The rates of alanine transaminase (ALT) normalization and HBV DNA negativity were 66.7% (14/21) and 24.2% (8/33) at 48 weeks, respectively. The initial HBV DNA level was the only LBH589 mw factor that was inversely associated with serum HBV DNA negativity after 48 weeks of entecavir therapy (P < 0.023). At 96 weeks, the rates of ALT normalization and HBV DNA negativity were 77.8% (7/9) and 16.7% (3/18), respectively. Viral breakthrough occurred in 21.2% (7/33) and 78.9% (15/19) of patients at 48 and 96 weeks, respectively. Patients who achieved a HBV DNA level of < 4 log(10) copies/mL at 48 weeks maintained a similar HBV DNA level and a normal ALT level until 96 weeks. Entecavir monotherapy for 96 weeks was not efficacious for patients with lamivudine/adefovir-resistant HBV. The initial HBV DNA level was the only predictive factor for antiviral efficacy.

However, patients who achieved a HBV DNA MRT67307 research buy level of < 4 log10 copies/mL with a normal ALT level at 48 weeks should maintain, rather than stop, entecavir therapy.”
“Structure, magnetization, and dielectric permittivity of (1-x)BiFeO3-xBaTiO(3) (BFO-BT) ceramics have been studied as a function of BT content (x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3). In situ synchrotron x-ray diffraction result of BFO reveals a rhombohedral (R)-orthorhombic (O)-cubic (C) phase transition near 820 and 850 degrees C upon heating. BFO-10% BT and BFO-20% BT exhibit a R-C transition near 760 and 740 degrees C, respectively. A C(R)-C transition takes place near 680 degrees C in BFO-30% BT. C(R) represents that a minor R phase coexists in the C matrix. A local minimum of R distortion angle alpha(R) occurs upon heating and implies ionic displacements. This anomaly is likely resulted from the antiferromagnetic (AFM)-paramagnetic (PM) transition and is responsible for the broad frequency-dependent dielectric maximum. BFO and BFO-10-30% BT ceramics exhibit a similar AFM behavior with magnetic susceptibility of about 8.

“
“Benign lichenoid keratosis is a cutaneous entity that consists of a nonpruritic papule or slightly indurated plaque that is histologically characterized by a band-like inflammatory infiltrate with interface involvement. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical and histopathologic features of benign lichenoid keratosis localized on the face. Fourteen benign lichenoid keratosis patients diagnosed clinically and histopathologically in our clinic during the 10-year period from 2002 to 2012 were studied. Thirteen

female and 1 male patients were included. The mean age at diagnosis was 46.5 years. The color of most of the lesions was brown (10 cases, 71%). The cheek was the most commonly involved area (10 cases, 71%). All of the lesions were PKC412 price single. There were 9 (64%) flat lesion cases and 5 (36%) raised lesion cases. Most patients denied having any symptoms; 3 had mild pruritus. The histopathological findings indicated that all the cases exhibited lichenoid inflammatory infiltrate obscuring the dermal-epidermal junction and vacuolar alteration of basal cell layer. The lesions showed focal parakeratosis (79%), melanophages (79%), hyperkeratosis (71%), and necrotic keratinocytes (71%). Solar elastosis (50%) and acanthosis (43%) were also seen frequently. Diagnosis of benign lichenoid keratosis

should be made by a combination of clinical manifestations and histopathological findings. In particular, benign lichenoid keratosis should be considered if a middle-aged

patient presents a solitary asymptomatic brown lesion on the face. We think benign lichenoid keratosis Tariquidar chemical structure may be a specific disorder rather than the inflammatory stage of regressing solar lentigines, large cell acanthoma or reticulated seborrheic keratosis.”
“We investigated the variation in concentrations SB273005 chemical structure and profiles of various classes of organohalogenated compounds (OHCs) in different feather types, muscle tissue and preen oil from 15 white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) carcasses from Greenland. The influence of moult patterns and potential external contamination onto the feather surface was examined, while the present study is also the first to investigate the use of body feathers for OHC monitoring. Concentrations of sum polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in feathers from white tailed eagles ranged from 2.3 ng/g in a primary wing feather to 4200 ng/g in body feathers. Using 300 mg of body feathers, almost 50 different OHCs could be quantified and median concentrations in body feathers were 10 fold higher than concentrations in tail feathers (rectrices) or primary wing feathers. Body feathers could be very useful for biomonitoring taking into account their easy sampling, short preparation time and high levels of OHCs. In addition, the effects of confounding variables such as feather size, moult and age are also minimised using body feathers.

Results At 4 and 8 weeks after injection

in stem cell-gel group and muscle-like cell-gel group, growth of blood vessels gradually increased at gel edge, BMSC, and muscle-like cells gathered around the new blood vessels observed by fluorescence tracer, muscle-like cells grew into elongated spindle-like cells, Desmin, and -SMA staining were obviously positive expression. LPP determinations of the mock control group compared with the Gel groups were significantly different. Conclusions Compound of BMSC, muscle-like cells, and calcium alginate composite gel has the potential to differentiate into muscle cells Givinostat molecular weight in the microenvironment of SUI rat model. It is found by LPP measurement that the correlation between the increase in urethral resistance and the volume effect of calcium alginate gel is high. Neurourol. Urodynam. 32: 281286, 2013. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.”
“A 51-year-old man presented with fever and fatigue after 3.5 months of

antituberculosis therapy. High-resolution computed tomography of his chest revealed new ground-glass opacities and poorly defined centrilobular nodules. He had undergone catechin inhalation for 1 month. We diagnosed hypersensitivity pneumonitis ( HP) based on the clinical course, bronchoscopy and a challenge test. Cases of HP due to inhalation of extracted catechin powder are rare. Although it has many known positive attributes, it is necessary to be aware that catechin can cause HP. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel”
“Aims To examine the effect of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a green tea catechin, on the bladder of rats exposed to water avoidance stress (WAS). Methods Twenty HKI-272 chemical structure female SpragueDawley rats were divided into four groups of five. The first group was exposed

to WAS for7 days. The second group was pretreated with EGCG 1mg/kg intraperitoneally (IP) for 7 days before exposure to WAS. The treatment was continued till the end of the experiment. The third group was placed on the platform in a container without water for 2hr daily for 7 days (Sham WAS). The fourth group was pretreated with saline I.P. for 7 days before being exposed to sham WAS. Primary outcome: Bladder CB-839 wall evaluation for signs of inflammation and total and activated mast cell counts. Secondary outcome: fecal pellet output and micturition frequency at baseline, day 1 and day 7. Results Bladder walls from rats exposed to WAS revealed significantly higher inflammation score, total and degranulated mast cell counts compared to the sham WAS group. EGCG administration had an obvious protective effect on the bladder mucosa, as the inflammation score, total and degranulated mast cell counts were all significantly lower than in the WAS group. In the WAS group, fecal pellet output and micturition frequency increased above baseline throughout the experiment. Comparison of sham WAS group versus sham WAS with saline revealed no statistically significant difference in any parameter.

HER2 expression in resectable colorectal adenocarcinoma cells was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in specimens taken from 202 patients. The percentage of cancer cells with membranous or cytoplasmatic reactions and the staining intensity of the reaction in the whole cell were recorded. A membranous Akt inhibitor reaction was present in 27% of cases, and cytoplasmatic reaction in 66% of cases. The total staining intensity in the entire cell was evaluated as moderate (2+) in 32% of cases and strong (3+) staining in 15%. There was no correlation found between either membranous or cytoplasmatic HER2 expression and survival. Furthermore

combined staining intensity did not provide any prognostic information. We conclude that HER2 expression in CRC does not correlate with prognosis.”
“Fontan fenestration closure is a topic of great debate. The body of data regarding the risks and benefits of fenestration closure is limited yet growing. Previous studies have demonstrated that Fontan patients have less exercise capacity than those

with normal cardiovascular Selleck MLN4924 anatomy. Differences also have been noted within various subgroups of Fontan patients such as whether Fontan is fenestrated or not. This study aimed to compare trends in regional oxygen saturations using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in patients with Fontan circulations during ramping exercise to further delineate differences between patients with and without a fenestration. It was hypothesized that Fontan patients with fenestrations have better exercise times, higher

absolute regional oxygen venous saturations, and smaller arteriovenous differences than Fontan patients without fenestrations. For this study, 50 consecutive Fontan patients and Nutlin-3 concentration 51 consecutive patients with normal cardiovascular anatomy were recruited. Placement of NIRS probes was performed to obtain regional oxygen saturations from the brain and the kidney. Readings were obtained at 1-min intervals during rest, exercise, and recovery. A standard Bruce protocol was used with a 5-min recovery period. Absolute regional tissue oxygenation values (rSO(2)) and arterial-venous oxygen saturation differences (AVDO(2)) calculated as arterial oxygen saturation (SPO2)-rSO(2) for normal versus Fontan patients and for fenestrated versus unfenestrated Fontan patients were compared using independent t tests. When normal and Fontan patients were compared, the Fontan patients had a significantly shorter duration of exercise (9.3 vs 13.2 min; p < 0.001). No statistically significant difference in rSO(2) change or AVDO(2) was evident at the time of peak exercise, at 2 min into the recovery, or at 5 min into the recovery. A small oxygen debt also was paid back to the brain in the Fontan patients after exercise, as evidenced by a narrower AVDO(2) than at baseline.