Steroid-refractory graft-versus-host disease is a life-threatening complication after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Evidence is accumulating that steroid-refractory graft-versus-host disease is associated with endothelial distress. Endothelial cell homeostasis is regulated by nitric oxide, and serum nitrates are derived from nitric oxide synthase activity or dietary sources. In this ret...

Intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents can treat macular edema (ME) in branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). However, refractory ME, the mechanism of which is not well elucidated, occurs frequently. Sixty-six eyes with ME secondary to BRVO were enrolled in this retrospective observational case-control study. Twenty eyes received a sub-Tenon's capsule injection of tri...

Abst rac t Objective: Approximately 30% of treatment-resistant schizophrenic patients do not fully respond to Clozapine and such patients are termed Clozapine non-responders or super-refractory schizophrenics. The aim of this study was to characterize patients with super-refractory schizophrenia according to demographic and psychopathological variables, as compared with patients with refractory...

Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) is a blistering skin disease, which is regarded as an extra-intestinal manifestation of coeliac disease. Refractory cases of coeliac disease, that do not respond to a gluten-free diet and which carry an increased risk of lymphoma, are well-known in coeliac disease. To determine whether refractory cases of DH with active rash and persistent small bowel atrophy occur...

Relative contributions of the atria and the atrioventricular (AV) node to AV conduction were studied in isolated, blood-perfused dog hearts. The functional refractory period of the atria, although shorter than that of the AV node, determined the functional refractory period of the entire transmission system in 50% of the hearts. Slow atrial conduction of early beats greatly influenced the shape...

BACKGROUND Refractory angina is a severe chronic disease, defined as angina which cannot be controlled by usual treatments for heart disease. This disease is frightening, debilitating, and difficult to manage. Many people suffering refractory have inadequate pain relief, continually revisit emergency departments for help, undergo repeated cardiac investigations, and struggle with obtaining appr...

The authors describe a case of severe debilitating diarrhea due to isosporiasis in a two year old child, a known case of systemic vasculitis receiving prolonged corticosteroids therapy, an association rarely reported previously. It was refractory to treatment with dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor combined with sulfonamide such as cotrimoxazole to which isosporiasis usually responds well and is...

One feature of neuronal discharge proposed to play a role in coding temporal information is the relative refractory period that follows each action potential. In neurons innervating hair cells, there is an extended refractory period that can last </=100 ms. We have taken a pharmacological approach to examine the extended refractory period in the Xenopus lateral line organ. We show that each act...

Refractory inclusions in primitive meteorites are the oldest objects formed in the Solar System. They exhibit large massdependent isotopic effects in many elements, including Si, Mg and Ca, indicative of their complex origin. We report data for both mass-dependent (d) and mass-independent (e) Ca isotopic effects, and rare earth element (REE) abundances in six refractory inclusions from the Alle...

With the use of a double stimulus technique, nerve fibre velocity range measurements were performed over a single conduction distance in 13 normal subjects and over two conduction distances in another 12 normal subjects. The velocity ranges were found to be dependent upon the conduction distance, owing to unknown refractory period delays. Refractory period values were calculated for the 12 subj...