Owing to the specific expression of fluorescent reporters in neuronal subpopulations, Tg(eno2:GFP) and Tg(eno2:mRFP) zebrafish may be useful for studies of retinal lamination, neuronal differentiation and synapse formation in the visual system. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.”
“Maintenance of target hemoglobin (Hb) values in hemodialysis patients treated with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) remains difficult. We examined
Hb variability in the clinical setting in hemodialysis patients. Hemodialysis patients treated with ESAs who maintained the recommended Hb range of 11-13 g per 100 ml over 3 months and were not admitted to hospital, did not require transfusion, and did not experience any major clinical event AZD7762 supplier during this period were followed prospectively for 1 year. Anemia events, Hb variation events (any value out of +/- 1.5 g per 100 ml of the median Hb level in Rigosertib ic50 the total follow-up period for the individual patient), risk factors for anemia, and Hb variation events were assessed. We studied 420 patients (63% males, mean age 61 years), 222 received short-acting erythropoietin (EPO) and 198 long-acting darbepoetin. A total of 4654 blood samples (mean 11.1 per patient-year) were analyzed. Only 3.8% of patients were maintained within the target Hb levels (11-13 g per 100 ml) during 1 year. Hb variation events
occurred in 20.8% of laboratory values and anemia events in 14.7%, with a median time to the first event of 3 months. Treatment with short-acting EPO (vs long-acting darbepoetin), change of ESA dose in the previous visit, resistance index, and hospitalization were significant risk factors for both anemia events and Hb variation events. Our results show that Hb values are rarely maintained within the recommended guidelines even in more stable hemodialysis patients. Hb variability is frequently associated
with clinical events or ESA dose changes. Long-acting darbepoetin achieved better Hb stability than short-acting Clomifene EPO.”
“Background In patients with multivessel coronary artery disease who are undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention ( PCI), coronary angiography is the standard method for guiding the placement of the stent. It is unclear whether routine measurement of fractional flow reserve ( FFR; the ratio of maximal blood flow in a stenotic artery to normal maximal flow), in addition to angiography, improves outcomes.
Methods In 20 medical centers in the United States and Europe, we randomly assigned 1005 patients with multivessel coronary artery disease to undergo PCI with implantation of drug- eluting stents guided by angiography alone or guided by FFR measurements in addition to angiography. Before randomization, lesions requiring PCI were identified on the basis of their angiographic appearance.