78-0.89); median time to complete 7 mins, reducing to 5 mins at second visit.

Conclusions: The APCA African POS has sound psychometric properties, is well comprehended and brief to use. Application of this tool offers the opportunity to at last address the omissions of palliative care research in Africa.”
“Pretransplant exposure to donor antigen

is known to modulate recipient alloimmunity, and frequently results in sensitization. However, donor-specific transfusion (DST) can have a protolerant effect that is dependent on route, dose and coadministered immunosuppression. Rodent studies have shown in some strain combinations that portal venous (PV) DST alone can induce tolerance, and uncontrolled clinical use of PVDST has been Adriamycin reported. In order to determine if pretransplant PVDST has a clinically relevant salutary effect, we studied it and SU5416 molecular weight the influence of concomitant immunosuppression in rhesus monkeys undergoing renal allotransplantation. Animals received PVDST with unfractionated bone marrow and/or tacrolimus

or sirolimus 1 week prior to transplantation. Graft survival was assessed without any posttransplant immunosuppression. PVDST alone or in combination with tacrolimus was ineffective. However, PVDST in combination with sirolimus significantly prolonged renal allograft survival to a mean of 24 days. Preoperative sirolimus alone had no effect, and peripheral DST with sirolimus prolonged graft survival in 2/4 animals, but resulted in accelerated rejection in 2/4 animals. These data demonstrate that PVDST in combination with sirolimus delays rejection in a modest but measurable way in a

rigorous model. It may thus be a preferable method for donor antigen administration.”
“Meralgia paresthetica is a mononeuropathy affecting the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve that is extremely rare in children. Two adolescent females, aged 11 and 13 years, presented due to tingling and pain on the side of the thigh of 2 to 3 weeks duration. The general examination revealed mild obesity; the neurological examination of both patients is normal except for pain, hypo- or hyperesthesia BKM120 in vivo on the side of the quadriceps. An electromyogram was performed in the first case that reveals decreased conduction velocity of the affected lateral femoral cutaneous nerve. The younger child was treated successfully with diet and topiramate; the second patient’s symptoms disappeared after initiating conservative measures. Meralgia paresthetica is probably underdiagnosed in the pediatric population. First-line treatment should be conservative, but topiramate may be useful for the treatment of meralgia paresthetica, although broader studies are needed to evaluate its true effectiveness in this pathological condition.”
“Purpose of the research: Little is known about the relationships between pain, anxiety, and depression in women prior to breast cancer surgery.