Cardiac pacemaking is controlled by an inward current called If, which is activated by membrane hyperpolarization of pacemaker cells in the sinoatrial node. Recently, a family of hyperpolarization-activated and cyclic nucleotide-gated cation(HCN) channels comprising at least four members (HCN1－HCN4) has been cloned. Two of these channels, HCN2 and HCN4, are expressed in the heart. When expressed in heterologous cells, HCN2 and HCN4 reveal general features of native If. In the present review we describe the molecular diversity and functional expression of the HCN channels and discuss structural determinants of the channels.

Schizoaffective disorders are a controversially discussed but existing nosological category describing an episodic condition meeting the criteria of both schizophrenia and mood disorders and lying on a continuum between these two prototypes. Both DSM-IV and ICD-10 classify them within the group of "schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders" with ICD-10 not requiring the absence of mood symptoms for a certain time. Cross-sectionally, schizoaffective disorder can be subdivided into schizodepressive, schizomanic and mixed types. In a longitudinal way, unipolar and bipolar types are distinguished. The division into schizo-dominated and mood dominated types is based on the severity and dominance of the schizophreniform symptomatology and implies significant consequences for treatment and prognosis. In addition, concurrent types should be differentiated from sequential types. Schizoaffective disorder is not rare; lifetime prevalence is estimated at 0.3%. About one third of all psychotic patients suffer from schizoaffective disorder. About two thirds of the patients do not only have schizoaffective episodes but also pure schizophreniform or mood episodes or episodes of acute and transient psychotic disorder. In more than 50% of the patients, symptoms remit more or less completely. The others suffer from light, moderate or severe residual states, which might affect their social adaptation. The suicide rate in schizoaffective disorder is about 12%. The treatment of schizoaffective disorder primarily is a combination of antipsychotics and mood stabilizers or antidepressants. Long-term prophylactic treatment mainly consists of antipsychotics and mood stabilizers. Differential diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder is not at all easy. It must be distinguished from psychotic mood disorder, where the psychotic symptoms are mood-congruent. Although DSM-IV allows even mood-incongruent psychotic symptoms in psychotic mood disorder, these cases should better be allocated to schizoaffective disorder. Schizoaffective disorder must also be distinguished from schizophrenia with mood symptoms. In the latter, the mood symptoms are not complete and not so prominent to meet the criteria of a mood episode, or they occur after the schizophreniform have remitted. Sometimes, schizoaffective disorder is mixed up with acute and transient psychotic disorder, although these two conditions do not have very much in common.
Affective Disorders, Psychotic ; Antidepressive Agents ; Antipsychotic Agents ; Deception ; Delusions ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Humans ; International Classification of Diseases ; Light ; Mood Disorders ; Prevalence ; Prognosis ; Psychotic Disorders ; Schizophrenia ; Suicide

Schizoaffective disorders are a controversially discussed but existing nosological category describing an episodic condition meeting the criteria of both schizophrenia and mood disorders and lying on a continuum between these two prototypes. Both DSM-IV and ICD-10 classify them within the group of "schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders" with ICD-10 not requiring the absence of mood symptoms for a certain time. Cross-sectionally, schizoaffective disorder can be subdivided into schizodepressive, schizomanic and mixed types. In a longitudinal way, unipolar and bipolar types are distinguished. The division into schizo-dominated and mood dominated types is based on the severity and dominance of the schizophreniform symptomatology and implies significant consequences for treatment and prognosis. In addition, concurrent types should be differentiated from sequential types. Schizoaffective disorder is not rare; lifetime prevalence is estimated at 0.3%. About one third of all psychotic patients suffer from schizoaffective disorder. About two thirds of the patients do not only have schizoaffective episodes but also pure schizophreniform or mood episodes or episodes of acute and transient psychotic disorder. In more than 50% of the patients, symptoms remit more or less completely. The others suffer from light, moderate or severe residual states, which might affect their social adaptation. The suicide rate in schizoaffective disorder is about 12%. The treatment of schizoaffective disorder primarily is a combination of antipsychotics and mood stabilizers or antidepressants. Long-term prophylactic treatment mainly consists of antipsychotics and mood stabilizers. Differential diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder is not at all easy. It must be distinguished from psychotic mood disorder, where the psychotic symptoms are mood-congruent. Although DSM-IV allows even mood-incongruent psychotic symptoms in psychotic mood disorder, these cases should better be allocated to schizoaffective disorder. Schizoaffective disorder must also be distinguished from schizophrenia with mood symptoms. In the latter, the mood symptoms are not complete and not so prominent to meet the criteria of a mood episode, or they occur after the schizophreniform have remitted. Sometimes, schizoaffective disorder is mixed up with acute and transient psychotic disorder, although these two conditions do not have very much in common.
Affective Disorders, Psychotic ; Antidepressive Agents ; Antipsychotic Agents ; Deception ; Delusions ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Humans ; International Classification of Diseases ; Light ; Mood Disorders ; Prevalence ; Prognosis ; Psychotic Disorders ; Schizophrenia ; Suicide

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Carbohydrate malabsorption is frequent in patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders and in healthy volunteers and can cause gastrointestinal symptoms mimicking irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of symptomatic lactose and fructose malabsorption in a large population of patients with IBS-like symptoms based on Rome II criteria. METHODS: Patients with unclear abdominal discomfort (n = 2,390) underwent lactose (50 g) and fructose (50 g) hydrogen (H2) breath tests and depending on the results further testing with 25 g fructose or 50 g glucose, or upper endoscopy with duodenal biopsies. Additionally, this population was investigated regarding the prevalence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) based on glucose breath test and celiac disease. RESULTS: Of the 2,390 patients with IBS-like symptoms, 848 (35%) were symptomatic lactose malabsorbers and 1,531 (64%) symptomatic fructose malabsorbers. A combined symptomatic carbohydrate malabsorption was found in 587 (25%) patients. Severe fructose malabsorbers (pathologic 25 g fructose test) exhaled significantly higher H2 concentrations in the 50 g test than patients with negative 25 g fructose test (P < 0.001). Out of 460/659 patients with early significant H2 increase in the lactose and fructose test who underwent a glucose breath test, 88 patients had positive results indicative of SIBO and they were significantly older than patients with negative test result (P < 0.01). Celiac disease was found in 1/161 patients by upper endoscopy. CONCLUSIONS: Carbohydrate malabsorption is a frequent but underestimated condition in patients with IBS-like symptoms although diagnosis can be easily confirmed by H2 breath testing.
Biopsy ; Breath Tests ; Celiac Disease ; Diagnosis ; Endoscopy ; Fructose ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; Glucose ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Hydrogen ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; Lactose ; Prevalence

OBJECTIVE: Discectomy as a treatment for herniated lumbar discs results in outcomes after surgery that are not uniformly positive. Surgeons face the dilemma between limited nucleus removal which is associated with a higher risk of recurrence, or more aggressive nucleus removal which may lead to disc height loss and persistent back-pain. annulus closure devices may allow for the benefits of limited nucleus removal without the increased risk of recurrence. This is an interim report of an ongoing 24-month post-marketing study of the Barricaid(R) annulus closure device, consisting of a flexible polymer mesh that blocks the defect, held in place by a titanium bone anchor. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 45 patients at four hospitals, and implanted the Barricaid(R) after a limited discectomy. annulus defect size and volume of removed nucleus were recorded. Reherniations were reported, pain and function were monitored and imaging was performed at regular intervals during 24 months of follow-up. RESULTS: At 12 months postsurgery, pain and function were significantly improved, comparing favorably to reported results from limited discectomy. Disc height has been well maintained. One reherniation has occurred (2.4%), which was associated with a misplaced device. No device fracture, subsidence or migration has been observed. CONCLUSION: The use of an annulus closure device may provide a reduction in reherniation rate for lumbar discectomy patients with large annulus defects who are at the greatest risk of recurrence. Using such a device should provide the surgeon increa- sed confidence in minimizing nucleus removal, which, in turn, may preserve disc height and biomechanics, reducing dege- neration and associated poor clinical outcomes in the long-term. A randomized multicenter study evaluating limited discectomy with and without the Barricaid(R) is currently underway, and will provide a higher level of evidence.
Biomechanics ; Diskectomy ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Polymers ; Prospective Studies ; Recurrence ; Titanium

BACKGROUND: Perioral dermatitis (POD) is a common inflammatory skin disease without standard therapy. OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate the clinical value of a soothing fluid for the treatment of POD. METHODS: We included 51 patients with POD in this 8-week clinical trial. The Toleriane Fluide Efficacy in Perioral Dermatitis (TOLPOD) study had an open-label design and involved twice-daily application of Toleriane Fluide, a soothing cosmetic fluid. Clinical assessment of POD was performed with a predefined questionnaire including the POD severity index (PODSI). Control visits were made after 4 and 8 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: The results were compared with those of a historical control group treated with a vehicle cream. Patients treated with the soothing fluid showed a continuous and significant improvement of the PODSI over time. The improvement of PODSI observed with the soothing fluid was better, but not significantly better, than that observed in the historical controls. In addition, the subjective complaints of patients such as disease burden, itching, distension of the skin, and appearance improved during treatment. CONCLUSION: A soothing fluid could be a clinically useful treatment option for POD.
Dermatitis, Perioral* ; Humans ; Pruritus ; Skin ; Skin Diseases ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Contrast-associated acute kidney injury (CA-AKI) is a major concern when iodinated contrast material is administered, especially in patients at risk. Efforts have been undertaken to understand the detrimental effects of contrast media (CM). With the use of low-osmolar or iso-osmolar CM the incidence of CA-AKI has steadily decreased within the past decade; however, especially in the pediatric population information is scarce. Incidence rates have been reported to range between 0% to 18.75%, particularly depending on indication, selection of population (i.e. preexisting co-morbidities), and definition of AKI. Different biomarkers have been proposed, but confirmatory studies are either lacking or have contributed to their lack of diagnostic power. Proteomic approaches have been employed and may pave the way to such discovery. Prevention strategies have been tested and proposed, but the recently published AMACING and PRESERVE trials have shown that commonly used strategies (such as systematic hydration or administration of N-acetylcysteine) have no role in the prevention of CA-AKI. We propose that thoughtful assessment of one's fluid state is the most appropriate approach and depending on the hydration status diuretics or fluid administration should be provided to achieve an euvolemic state ahead of contrast exposure.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Biomarkers ; Child ; Contrast Media ; Diuretics ; Humans ; Incidence ; Renal Insufficiency

Robotically assisted mitral valve repair has proven its efficacy during the last decade. The most suitable approach for patients with difficult anatomies, such as morbid obesity, sternal deformities, cardiac rotation, or vascular anomalies, represents a current challenge in cardiac surgery. Herein, we present the case of a 71-year-old patient affected by severe degenerative mitral valve regurgitation with pectus excavatum and a right aortic arch with an anomalous course of the left subclavian artery who was successfully treated using a Da Vinci–assisted approach.
Aged ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Funnel Chest ; Humans ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency ; Mitral Valve ; Obesity, Morbid ; Subclavian Artery ; Thoracic Surgery

Robotically assisted mitral valve repair has proven its efficacy during the last decade. The most suitable approach for patients with difficult anatomies, such as morbid obesity, sternal deformities, cardiac rotation, or vascular anomalies, represents a current challenge in cardiac surgery. Herein, we present the case of a 71-year-old patient affected by severe degenerative mitral valve regurgitation with pectus excavatum and a right aortic arch with an anomalous course of the left subclavian artery who was successfully treated using a Da Vinci–assisted approach.

The purpose of this review is to name and describe the important factors of musculoskeletal strain originating from pushing and pulling tasks such as cart handling that are commonly found in industrial contexts. A literature database search was performed using the research platform Web of Science. For a study to be included in this review differences in measured or calculated strain had to be investigated with regard to: (1) cart weight/ load; (2) handle position and design; (3) exerted forces; (4) handling task (push and pull); or (5) task experience. Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria and proved to be of adequate methodological quality by the standards of the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research. External load or cart weight proved to be the most influential factor of strain. The ideal handle positions ranged from hip to shoulder height and were dependent on the strain factor that was focused on as well as the handling task. Furthermore, task experience and subsequently handling technique were also key to reducing strain. Workplace settings that regularly involve pushing and pulling should be checked for potential improvements with regards to lower weight of the loaded handling device, handle design, and good practice guidelines to further reduce musculoskeletal disease prevalence.
Alberta ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Hip ; Human Body* ; Humans* ; Mechanics* ; Musculoskeletal Diseases ; Musculoskeletal System* ; Prevalence ; Shoulder