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AIM: To evaluate the use of intravitreal dexamethasone as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of presumed bacterial endophthalmitis. DESIGN: Prospective, double masked, randomised placebo-controlled clinical trial. METHODS: Patients with ‘post cataract surgery’, ‘bleb-related’ and ‘other’ endophthalmitis were grouped and randomised to receive intravitreal ceftazidime (2.225 mg/0.1 ml), vancomycin (1 mg/0.1 ml), and either dexamethasone (0.4 mg/0.1) or placebo. All underwent vitreous and aqueous sampling for microbiological analysis. Injections were repeated after 48 h if necessary. The primary outcome measure was Snellen visual acuity on presentation, within the first 14 days post injection, and at 2–4 months. RESULTS: 62 patients completed the protocol from 2001 to 2005. Thirty patients received intravitreal dexamethasone and 32 received intravitreal placebo. There was no statistically significant difference in the visual outcomes of either group with a mean 2.79 Snellen lines improvement of the intravitreal dexamethasone group versus 1.8 lines in the placebo group. Subgroup analysis suggested a clinical trend to better visual acuity in the post cataract steroid subgroup with mean 4.1 lines improvement versus 2.7 in the placebo group (p=0.33). No adverse events attributable to the dexamethasone were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Intravitreal dexamethasone appears safe and may be of benefit in post cataract surgery bacterial endophthalmitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract. Objectives and design:  In this study, we examine the relationship between C5a and activation of cysteine aspartic acid protease 8 (caspase 8) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Materials or subjects:  Primary cultures of HUVEC were used. Treatments:  Recombinant human C5a (50 ng/ml) was used in the presence or absence of 10 μg/ml cycloheximide (CHX). Methods:  HUVEC were treated with C5a alone and in the presence of CHX, then monitored for cell viability, poly- ADP-ribose 1 (PARP-1) and caspase 8 activities. Gene and protein expressions were assessed for caspase 8 and the caspase 8 homologue, FLICE –inhibitory protein (cFLIP). Results:  We found a 43.1 ± 6.9 percent reduction in viability of HUVEC stimulated for 18 h with 50 ng/ml C5a in the presence of 10 μg/ml CHX (p Conclusions:  These data suggest caspase 8 activation induced by C5a leads to cell death if protein synthesis of antiapoptotic protein(s) is blocked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate spectral properties of integral operators of the form [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the prevalence rates of major and minor depression in older Mexicans. Methodology used in the study; Percentage of older Mexican Americans that have some type of depressive symptomatology; What is the diagnosis of depression.

Suppose that $ h, k \in \mathcal{L}(\mathcal{H})$ are two selfadjoint bounded operators on a Hilbert space $\mathcal{H}$. It is elementary to show that $hk$ is selfadjoint precisely when $hk = kh$. We answer the following question: Under what circumstances must $hk$ be selfadjoint given that it is normal? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]